Chile stand between Nigeria’s Future Eagles and another step towards a 73rd-place finish at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival. Nigeria secured the meeting after defeating Rwanda 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in Baku, Azerbaijan, Bold Sports reports.
The Future Eagles will meet Chile on Thursday, 29 October, at 2:00 pm Nigerian time. Wisdom Boniface supplied Nigeria’s goal against Rwanda, but the team needed penalties to settle the contest after conceding a late equaliser.
Classification campaign takes Nigeria to another test
Nigeria’s place in the 73rd–76th-place semi-finals keeps their campaign alive. They must now overcome Chile to move closer to the tournament’s 73rd-place match.
Their upcoming opponents also survived a penalty shootout. Chile drew 3-3 with Japan before winning 5-4 from the spot. That result secured Chile’s progression into the same classification round.
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Nigeria will therefore face a side that also needed penalties to advance. The two teams will meet at Hovsan Pitch 1B, Hovsan Competition Complex, in Baku.
Boniface provides Nigeria’s breakthrough
The contest against Rwanda produced only two goals during regulation time. Boniface put Nigeria ahead in the 26th minute with a well-taken free-kick.
That advantage did not last until the final whistle. Rwanda equalised in the 39th minute, less than two minutes before the match ended.
Nigeria could not restore their lead before the final whistle. The 1-1 scoreline sent both teams into a penalty shootout, where the Future Eagles secured a 4-3 victory.
Boniface’s free-kick was Nigeria’s only goal in regulation time. His strike had given the team an opportunity to progress without penalties, but Rwanda’s late response forced another test.
Match details and live coverage
Nigeria will face Chile in the 73rd–76th-place semi-final on Thursday, 29 October 2026. Kick-off is set for 2:00 pm Nigerian time at Hovsan Pitch 1B in Azerbaijan.
Fans can check FIFA+ for live coverage of the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival.
The Future Eagles now have another opportunity to improve their final tournament position. After surviving the shootout against Rwanda, they must find a way past Chile to continue their pursuit of 73rd place.
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