Nigeria’s Future Eagles have finished 76th at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival after losing 2–1 to Panama in their final classification match in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s campaign at the inaugural competition, with Panama taking 75th place ahead of the young Nigerian side.
The match settled Nigeria’s finishing position after their earlier exit from contention for the Tier C title.
The Future Eagles entered the fixture after a penalty-shootout defeat to Chile in the preceding classification round. That match finished 3–3 in regulation time before Chile prevailed 3–2 from the spot.
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It was a different outcome from Nigeria’s earlier shootout against Rwanda, which they won 4–3 following a 1–1 draw.
Those contrasting results left the Future Eagles contesting the 75th-place match, where Panama ultimately denied them a winning finish.
Nigeria’s campaign had begun with an unbeaten group stage, although four draws restricted their progress in Group AD.
They drew 3–3 with South Sudan, 2–2 with Jordan and 3–3 with The Gambia before recording a 2–1 victory against Cyprus. A subsequent 1–1 draw with Pakistan left them third in the group with seven points.
The Nigerians then produced an emphatic 7–0 win over New Caledonia in the Tier C Round of 32.
Their pursuit of that tier’s title ended in the next round, however, when Benin defeated them 6–3, sending the Future Eagles into the classification fixtures.
The final position concludes Nigeria’s involvement in a competition designed to combine international competition with player development.
FIFA says 189 member associations participated in the inaugural edition, with approximately 950 matches spread across six matchdays.
The competition uses eight-a-side teams and two 20-minute halves, with kick-ins replacing throw-ins. Its format places teams into performance tiers after the group stage and keeps participants involved through subsequent classification matches.
Most games were staged at the purpose-built Hövsan Competition Complex, which has 20 pitches.
For the Future Eagles, the tournament brought meetings with opponents from several regions, a heavy scoring victory against New Caledonia and two contrasting shootout experiences. Friday’s defeat to Panama supplied the final result of their stay in Baku.
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