Nigeria’s U20 team, known as the Flying Eagles, rebounded from an initial defeat to secure a 3-2 victory over Saudi Arabia in their second Group F match at the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup.
Nasiru Salihu opened the scoring for Nigeria, but the Saudis equalized through Amar Al Yuhaybi midway through the first half. A stunning strike from Amos Ochoche restored Nigeria’s lead, only for Talal Haji to level the score once more. Ultimately, Daniel Bameyi clinched the win with a penalty in stoppage time in Talca, Chile.
Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubair, made a single adjustment to the lineup that faced Norway in the tournament’s opening match, bringing in Sani Suleiman to replace Orseer Achihi in the starting eleven.
Sani Suleiman delivered a superb cross that was headed in by former Elkanemi player Nasiru Salihu, marking the first goal of the match in the 10th minute. Shortly thereafter, Kparobo Arierhi had a chance to extend Nigeria’s lead, but his attempt was expertly saved by goalkeeper Youssef Hamed.
Just before the 20-minute mark, Saudi Arabia nearly scored, hitting the woodwork through Rakan Al Ghamdi following a defensive error by Ahmed Akinyele.
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However, the Saudis managed to equalize midway through the half when forward Amar Al Yuhaybi capitalized on a long ball that the Nigerian defense failed to clear. The Flying Eagles appeared vulnerable defensively, yet their opponents could not take advantage as the match remained open.
Minutes before half-time, Nigeria regained the lead with a goal from Amos Ochoche, who scored from a set-piece that caught the Saudis off guard. Nigeria went into the break with a lead, aiming for their first victory in the tournament.
Upon resuming play, substitute Talal Haji equalized for Saudi Arabia with a header over goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt in the 50th minute. The Saudis came close to taking the lead shortly after, striking the bottom of the post, while the Flying Eagles continued to face challenges with the long balls.
Nigeria is set to compete against Colombia, which previously played to a scoreless draw with Norway, in their final group match scheduled for the early hours of next Monday. Meanwhile, the eliminated Saudi Arabia will engage in a match against Norway as they vie for qualification.
