Nigeria and Argentina will rekindle one of world football’s most exciting youth rivalries when they clash in the Round of 16 at the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile on Wednesday evening.
Both nations share a rich competitive history at various levels, including the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA U20 World Cup, and the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament. Their most recent encounter came two years ago, when Nigeria stunned hosts Argentina 2-0 in the same stage of the U20 World Cup. Ibrahim Muhammad and Haliru Sarki were the heroes on that occasion, leading the Flying Eagles to the quarter-finals before they bowed out in extra time to South Korea.
Two decades earlier, the West Africans fell narrowly to Argentina in the 2005 U20 World Cup final in the Netherlands, where Lionel Messi scored twice from the spot, while Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi netted Nigeria’s lone goal.
Argentina remain the most successful team in the tournament’s history with six titles, while Nigeria have claimed silver medals twice and bronze once. However, the seven-time African champions go into Wednesday’s clash at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos in Santiago with confidence and determination, buoyed by their resilient group stage performances.
Aliyu Zubair’s side secured four points from three matches, holding Colombia to a thrilling draw in a game they dominated. Captain Daniel Bameyi’s late penalty ensured Nigeria advanced to the knockout rounds, showcasing their trademark grit and attacking flair.
With striker Suleman Sani suspended, Coach Zubair will look to fresh options to partner Tahir Maigana and Kparobo Arierhi in attack. The Flying Eagles arrived in Santiago from Talca on Monday and trained on Tuesday evening ahead of the high-stakes showdown set for 8:30 p.m. Nigerian time.
Meanwhile, in women’s football, Nigeria’s U17 team, the Flamingos, are set to depart Abuja early Wednesday for Morocco ahead of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. The team will camp in Casablanca, where they will face New Zealand and Paraguay in friendly matches before heading to Rabat for the tournament.
Drawn in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa, the Flamingos will open their campaign against Canada on October 19. Coach Bankole Olowookere’s squad enters the competition in fine form, having scored 44 goals without conceding in 10 tune-up matches.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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