Nigeria’s Flying Eagles are set to face Argentina in the Round of 16 of the FIFA U-20 World Cup on Wednesday at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Chile, in what promises to be a thrilling encounter between two footballing giants.
The much-anticipated clash comes after both teams successfully advanced from the group stage.
Nigeria held Colombia to a 1-1 draw in their final Group F fixture on Monday morning, finishing third behind Colombia and Norway, with four points from three matches.
The Flying Eagles won one, drew one, and lost one in their group games, qualifying for the knockout phase as one of the best third-placed teams.
Argentina, meanwhile, emerged as the dominant side in Group D, finishing top with a perfect nine points from three matches after victories over Italy, Australia, and Cuba.
In their final group fixture, the South Americans narrowly edged Italy 1-0 on Sunday to set up an intriguing knockout tie against Nigeria.
Historically, both nations share a balanced record at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, having met twice — in 2005 and 2023 — with each side recording one victory apiece.
In their most recent meeting two years ago, the Flying Eagles stunned Javier Mascherano’s Argentina side 2-0 in the Round of 16 to advance to the quarter-finals — a result they will be eager to replicate this time around.
DAILY POST