Nigeria’s U-15 side, known as the Future Eagles, are through to the Tier C Round of 16 at the ongoing inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival after thrashing New Caledonia 7-0.
The match, played on Wednesday at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan, saw the Future Eagles take the lead inside the first minute through Wisdom Oche.
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They doubled their advantage in the 12th minute when Timothy Ijachi found the back of the net. The in-form captain scored his second of the game four minutes later, giving the young Nigerians a three-goal lead after 16 minutes.
AbdulRazaq Muhammad added Nigeria’s fourth goal in the 21st minute, and Ijachi completed his hat-trick in the 35th minute.
Things went from bad to worse for New Caledonia in the 39th minute when Muhammad scored his second goal of the day, making it 6-0. A minute later, Mayowa Salu found the back of the net to complete Nigeria’s emphatic victory over the tournament’s minnows.
The result was Nigeria’s biggest win and first clean sheet of the competition, while Ijachi, who plays for Mavlon FC of Lagos, now has nine goals in six matches.
The Future Eagles will face a stronger challenge in the Round of 16 when they take on the Republic of Benin on Thursday, 29 October.
Picking Up After a Slow Start
The Nigerian youngsters began the competition slowly, with three consecutive draws in Group AD.
Their first game against South Sudan ended 3-3, the second was a 2-2 draw with Jordan, and the third was another 3-3 draw with The Gambia. Though the attack looked sharp and prolific, the defence was not strong enough, conceding eight goals in those three encounters.
Coach Patrick Bassey’s side then recorded a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory over Cyprus, before another 1-1 draw with Pakistan saw them finish the group stage with seven points from five matches.
The West African side have now played six games, recording two wins, four draws and no defeats, with 18 goals scored and 10 conceded since the start of the tournament.
