The Nigerian U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, emerged victorious against the host country Argentina with a 2-0 win at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario on Thursday. This win secured their spot in the FIFA U-20 World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 12 years.
The team, led by Coach Ladan Bosso, sealed the victory with second-half goals from Ibrahim Muhammad and Rilwanu Sarki. The win has given Nigeria a chance to advance to the semi-finals in Santiago del Estero on Sunday against either Ecuador or South Korea.
The match started with the Flying Eagles having an edge over Argentina. However, as the first half progressed, Argentine players dominated the game. Striker Alejo Veliz had two chances to score a goal, but he missed both opportunities. Kingsley Aniagboso, the Flying Eagles goalie, made a good save before the break.
The second half saw Nigeria breaking the deadlock in the 61st minute, with Emmanuel Umeh setting up Ibrahim Muhammad for a precise finish, which went past Argentine goalkeeper Federico Gerth. This goal put the Flying Eagles in the lead, adding additional pressure on Argentina to equalize.
Argentina attempted to turn the game around and had 20 shots at goal, while Nigeria only had nine. They came very close to scoring with Luka Romero’s low drive from distance, which hit the post before being cleared by Daniel Bameyi.
In stoppage time, substitute Victor Eletu assisted Haliru Sarki after he replaced Ibrahim Muhammad, securing Nigeria’s victory and a place in the quarter-finals.
This win has broken Argentina’s streak of 10 straight U-20 World Cup victories, with Argentina winning all seven games when they hosted the tournament in 2001 and their first three at this edition.
The Flying Eagles have shown determination and hard work, and Nigerians anticipate their next match in the quarter-final. It was an outstanding performance, and Nigerians are hopeful that they will put up a good fight in the next game.
