Flying Eagles Advance to U-20 World Cup Round of 16 After 1-1 Draw with Colombia

 

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Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have secured a spot in the Round of 16 at the 24th FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile following a resilient 1-1 draw against Colombia on Monday morning.

The encounter, held at Estadio Fiscal de Talca, saw the seven-time African champions demonstrate grit and determination. In the early stages, goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt played a key role, making vital saves in the 23rd and 26th minutes to keep Nigeria in the game despite Colombia’s early pressure.

As the match progressed, the Flying Eagles began to assert themselves. Tahir Maigana, Kparobo Arierhi, and Suleman Sani repeatedly tested the Colombian defense, coming close to scoring on several occasions as their shots rattled the woodwork.

Colombia eventually broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when Kener Gonzalez finished off an assist from Neyser Villareal. Nigeria, however, responded with determination, mounting consistent attacks to level the score. Defender Odinaka Okoro almost brought the team back into contention with a header in the 76th minute.

The Flying Eagles’ efforts were finally rewarded in the 86th minute when captain Daniel Bameyi calmly converted a penalty after a Colombian defender handled Maigana’s shot. Nigeria came close to snatching a late winner, but Arierhi’s effort in the 89th minute was blocked inside the area, leaving the match tied at 1-1.

With this result, Nigeria will face Argentina in Santiago on Wednesday, revisiting the last U-20 World Cup quarter-final where they defeated the South Americans 2–0 in San Juan.

Another Round of 16 fixtures, Colombia will play South Africa, while Norway meets Paraguay.

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