Nigeria’s Future Eagles will face either Benin or Cuba in the Tier C Round of 16 after dismantling New Caledonia 7-0 at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, Bold Sports reports.
The emphatic victory on Wednesday marked Nigeria’s biggest win of the tournament so far. Timothy Ijachi scored three times, while Abdulsalam Muhammad grabbed a brace. Wisdom Oche and Mayowa Salu also found the net as Patrick Bassey’s youngsters delivered an impressive attacking performance.
Seven goals seal Nigeria’s progression
Nigeria established control from the opening minute. Oche broke the deadlock almost immediately, giving the Future Eagles an early lead.
Ijachi increased the advantage with goals in the 12th and 16th minutes. Muhammad followed with Nigeria’s fourth goal in the 21st minute, leaving New Caledonia facing a difficult task.
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The Nigerian attack continued to produce goals as the match progressed. Ijachi completed his hat-trick in the 35th minute before Muhammad scored again four minutes later.
Salu added the seventh goal in the 40th minute, completing a dominant display from the Future Eagles.
The scorers were Oche, Ijachi (three), Muhammad (two) and Salu.
From group-stage struggles to a convincing victory
Nigeria’s route into the second phase featured several closely contested matches. The Future Eagles finished third in Group AD with seven points from five games.
Nigeria finished that phase with 11 goals scored and 10 conceded. Their record of one win and four draws placed them in Tier C for the competition’s second phase.
Wednesday’s result offered a significant improvement in their winning margin, with Nigeria scoring seven times without conceding.
Benin or Cuba await in the knockout stage
The Future Eagles will return to action on Thursday, 29 October. Their opponent will be decided by the meeting between Benin and Cuba.
Nigeria must now build on the New Caledonia result as they pursue the Tier C title.
The tournament features six tiers, with teams assigned according to their performances in the qualification stage. Each tier has its own winner, while matches follow an eight-a-side format consisting of two 20-minute halves.
Nigeria’s next challenge presents an opportunity to extend their campaign after a commanding performance in Baku.
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