Nigeria’s Flying Eagles showed have sealed a Round of 16 ticket at the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile. The seven-time African champions battled Colombia to a 1-1 draw in Talca during the early hours of Monday.
Although Colombia threatened early, Nigeria’s goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt stood tall. He produced big saves in the 23rd and 26th minutes to keep the scoreline level.
The Flying Eagles then grew into the game, striking the woodwork several times as Tahir Maigana, Kparobo Arierhi, and Suleman Sani led waves of attack.
Despite Nigeria’s dominance, Colombia struck first in the 51st minute. Kener Gonzalez calmly finished from a neat assist by Neyser Villareal. Yet the setback did not rattle the Nigerians, who pushed forward relentlessly in search of a response.
In the 76th minute, defender Odinaka Okoro nearly equalised with a header, only for the Colombian goalkeeper to deny him. The Flying Eagles, however, refused to back down and continued to press.
Bameyi keeps nerves as Nigeria force late equaliser
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Their persistence paid off in the 86th minute. Captain Daniel Bameyi stepped up to slot home a penalty after Maigana’s shot was handled inside the box. With composure, he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the score.
Nigeria almost grabbed a dramatic winner moments later, but Arierhi’s effort was blocked in the area. Still, the draw was enough to book a blockbuster clash with hosts Argentina at the iconic Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos in Santiago.
The fixture rekindles memories of the last U20 World Cup hosted by Argentina, where Nigeria triumphed 2-0 in San Juan. While the Flying Eagles prepare for a massive test, Colombia will now face fellow Africans South Africa, and Norway will lock horns with Paraguay.
Tags: Flying Eagles, Colombia, Argentina, #2025U20WorldCup, #U20WorldCup, Daniel Bameyi, Round of 16.
