24th FIFA U20 World Cup: No way for Norway, as Flying Eagles vow to start well
The Flying Eagles will head out of the dugout against Norway on Monday at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca for the first time ever in the history of the tournament. Two-time finalistsin Saudi Arabia in 1989 and in The Netherlands in 2005, the West African giantswill be making their 14th appearance in the competition that commenced as FIFA U21 Youth Tournament in Tunisia in 1977.
On the other hand, their Scandinavian counterparts will step on to the field for only the third time in the history of the championship. This will be the first-ever meeting between these two sides at the U20 level. The Flying Eagles are far ahead of the Norwegians considering their pedigree in this tournament.
Nigeria sealed their qualification to Chile after finishing third, with the bronze medals,during the Africa U20 Cup of Nations finalsin Egypt. Buoyed by their 1-1 draw against host nation Chile and 3-1 win over Australia in preparatory friendlies for the tournament, the Flying Eagles are brimming withconfidence ahead of Monday’s encounter with Norway. The squad is made up of a blend of home boys and Europe-based players.
Fortunately, the Aliyu Zubair-led squad will be banking on the experience of team Captain, Daniel Bameyi and midfielder Daniel Daga who were part of the immediate past team that reached the quarter-final stage in Argentina in 2023.
The seven-time African champions will aim for victory as they want to kick off their campaign with a win at Estadio Fiscal de Talca on Monday, starting 5pm Chile time (9pm in Nigeria).
PHOTO: Defender Odinaka Okoro in action against Australia in Tuesday’s 3-1friendly win in Santiago.
