Flying Eagles Begin World Cup Prep with Chile Draw
By The9JaTREND
The Flying Eagles opened their preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup with a 1-1 draw against hosts Chile on Saturday.
The friendly in Rancagua marked the first of two tune-up matches lined up ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on September 27 in Santiago, Chile.
Nigeria struck first through Ahmed Akinyele in the 18th minute, the Remo Stars defender rising highest to nod home from a corner delivered by Tahir Maigana.
The South Americans, however, found a response 18 minutes later when Felipe Faúndez slotted past goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt to restore parity.
The start of the second half saw Harcourt make two crucial saves in quick succession to deny the hosts an early lead.
Coach Aliyu Zubairu later introduced Abduljelil Kamaldeen, Kparobo Arhieri and Auwal Ibrahim as second-half substitutes in a bid to inject fresh energy into his side, but the match ended level.
The encounter was part of Nigeria’s final 12-day training camp in Chile, which began after their departure from Abuja last Sunday.
According to the NFF, the Flying Eagles will also face Australia in their second warm-up game on Tuesday.
Zubairu has named a 21-man squad for the campaign, blending foreign-based players with home-grown talents. Only eight members of the team that won bronze at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year were retained.
The Flying Eagles, seven-time African champions, have been drawn in Group F and will play all their matches at the Estadio Fiscal in Talca, 250 kilometres from Santiago.
Their group-stage campaign begins against Norway on September 29, followed by clashes with Saudi Arabia on October 2 and Colombia on October 5.
Nigeria are still chasing a maiden U-20 World Cup title, having finished as runners-up in 1989 to Portugal and in 2005, when they lost to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.
