Nigeria’s Future Eagles produced an impressive attacking display, defeating New Caledonia 7–0 to advance to the Tier C Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The emphatic victory on Wednesday, October 28, marked Nigeria’s biggest win in the competition and extended the team’s unbeaten run to six matches.
Wisdom Oche opened the scoring just one minute into the encounter before captain Timothy Ijachi struck twice in the 12th and 16th minutes to give Nigeria a commanding 3–0 lead.
Abdulsalam Muhammad added the fourth goal in the 21st minute, while Ijachi completed his hat-trick in the 35th minute.
Muhammad scored again four minutes later before Mayowa Salu completed the scoring in the 40th minute.
Nigeria entered the knockout stage after finishing third in Group AD with seven points from five matches, recording one victory and four draws.
The comprehensive win initially raised hopes of a strong finish for the young Nigerian side. However, the Future Eagles subsequently lost 6–3 to Benin in the Round of 16, ending their Tier C campaign.
The tournament provides a platform for young players to gain international experience and develop their competitive skills. Nigeria’s performance against New Caledonia demonstrated their attacking potential, although the subsequent defeat highlighted the challenges of maintaining consistency at the knockout stage.
Leave a comment