The Nigerian U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, have completed their relocation from Mendoza to Buenos Aires for their upcoming crucial group stage match against Brazil.
The Flying Eagles’ successful venture in Mendoza saw them clinch victories in their opening two matches of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza provided an exhilarating backdrop for Nigeria’s impressive performances.
In their inaugural match, the Flying Eagles soared to a 2-1 triumph over the Dominican Republic.
They continued their dominance in their subsequent outing, securing a resolute 2-0 win against Italy, courtesy of goals masterfully crafted by Salem Fago and Jude Sunday.
The resounding victories earned Nigeria an unassailable six points, guaranteeing their advancement to the knockout stage of the tournament.
Now, the Flying Eagles will face five-time winners Brazil in their final group encounter. The highly anticipated match will take place at the renowned Estadio Unico Diego Maradona in La Plata.
After a shock 3-2 loss to the Italians in their opening group game, Brazil sent a message to the Flying Eagles that they are back in business by demolishing Dominican Republic 6-0 to boost their chances of qualifying to the knockout stage.
Six different players netted for the South American powerhouse, namely Savio, Marcos Leonardo, Jean Pedroso, Giovane , Marlon Gomes and Matheus Martins .
A disciplined and well-organized Nigeria side maintained their one hundred percent start to the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Italy.
If Brazil beat Nigeria today and Italy register a win against Dominican Republic, three teams would finish on six points and goal difference would be used as the tiebreaker.
“The World Cup is very difficult and our group is very balanced. Nigeria already has six points. It was worth a lot for the difference,” Brazil U20 head coach Ramon Menezes was quoted as saying by Globo.
“Now it’s time to recover these players, and it shows the difficulties of this decisive game, and football doesn’t even have time to celebrate.
“We already have a trip, we have to train to play a great game on Saturday.”
Group D table-toppers Nigeria have a goal difference of +3, Brazil +5, Italy -1 and Dominican Republic -7.
If Nigeria avoids defeat against the Brazilians, they will clinch the coveted top spot in Group D.
The Flying Eagles are eagerly looking forward to the challenge and are determined to continue their scintillating run in the U-20 World Cup.
