Nigeria’s U-20 nationwide soccer crew, the Flying Eagles, will depart Abuja on Sunday night time, September 14, 2025, for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, with their sights firmly set on breaking new floor.
The seven-time African champions are decided to finish Nigeria’s lengthy watch for a first-ever FIFA U-20 World Cup title, having twice fallen on the last hurdle in 1989 and 2005.
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The 2-week coaching camp in Chile, starting Tuesday. In line with crew officers, the camp will give attention to acclimatization, tactical changes, and crew bonding.
The crew are set to play a sequence of friendlies lined up towards Chilean e opposition to assist the gamers adapt to the distinctive climate, altitude, and enjoying circumstances in South America.
Nigeria will open their Group D marketing campaign towards Norway on Monday, September 29, earlier than going through Saudi Arabia and wrapping up the group stage towards Colombia in what might show a decisive encounter.
Head coach Aliyu Zubairu has emphasised self-discipline, swift transitions, and medical ending as the important thing substances for fulfillment.
“This crew has high quality, resilience, and creativity. I consider they will mount a severe problem for Nigeria’s first-ever U-20 World Cup crown,” Zubairu mentioned.
The present squad, comprising gamers from Nigerian academies, NPFL golf equipment, and European outfits.
The Abuja camp of the crew was used for tactical fine-tuning, bodily conditioning, and harm assessments.
Nevertheless, the crew will miss defender Adamu Ba’aba Maigari, who was dominated out because of a Kneel harm because the reliable proper again defender was rule out by the technical crew.
Zubairu is predicted to announce his last 21-man squad on Friday, September 19.
Nigeria’s return to Chile additionally brings a way of unfinished enterprise.
The Flying Eagles crashed out within the group stage of the 1987 version held in the identical nation, regardless of the expertise at their disposal.
But, inspiration abounds within the reminiscence of the Golden Eaglets, who lifted the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile in 2015 , the final time Nigeria celebrated world success in a FIFA-organized match.
With historical past beckoning, the Flying Eagles are motivated to show promise into glory and at last ship the long-elusive U-20 World Cup trophy for Nigeria.
