Nigeria’s Future Eagles showed great skill on Wednesday, beating New Caledonia 7-0 to reach the Tier C Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Oche started the scoring just one minute into the match. Ijachi then added two goals, one in the 12th minute and another four minutes later.
Muhammad scored in the 21st minute as Nigeria kept dominating the game.
Ijachi got his hat-trick in the 35th minute. Muhammad netted his second goal four minutes later. Salu finished the scoring in the 40th minute, sealing the impressive win.
This seven-goal performance gave the Nigerian team a big morale boost as they looked forward to the knockout rounds.
The Future Eagles kicked off their tournament with a 3-3 draw against South Sudan. They also drew 2-2 with Jordan and had another 3-3 draw with The Gambia.
Bassey’s team managed their only group-stage win with a comeback, winning 2-1 against Cyprus. They ended the group phase with a 1-1 draw against Pakistan.
Finishing third in their group placed them in Tier C. Their big win over New Caledonia has now put them in the running for the title in this tier.
The Future Eagles will meet either Benin or Cuba in the Tier C Round of 16 on Thursday, 29 October. They are eager to keep their winning streak going.
The 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival uses an eight-a-side format. Each match lasts two halves of 20 minutes. Teams are divided into six tiers based on how they performed in the qualifying rounds, with one winner from each tier.
Nigeria aims to build on their strong win over New Caledonia and push further in the knockout stage as they chase the Tier C title.
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