Our Sports Correspondent
Nigerian Flying Eagles, Moroccan and South African counterparts, are the three African national teams among the four representatives in the continent to advance to the U-20 World Cup Round of 16.
The Egyptian team did not qualify for the next stage.
Morocco finished as leaders in Group C with six (6) points, after winning their first two matches. South Africa qualified after securing second place in Group E with six (6) points, including a comeback victory against the United States of America (USA) in their last match.
Nigeria narrowly escaped early eviction, finishing third in Group F with four points They won their second match and drew 1-1 with Colombia in the final group game, which allowed them to qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams.
The Colombians took the lead through Kener Gonzalez, but Nigeria’s captain Daniel Bameyi scored a crucial penalty in the 86th minute to ensure progression.
The Round of 16 Fixtures are as follows:
– Argentina vs Nigeria: A repeat of the 2023 quarter-final pairing, scheduled for Wednesday at the Estadio Nacional Julio MartÃnez Prádanos in Santiago.
Others are:
– Colombia vs South Africa
– Norway vs Paraguay
– Ukraine vs Spain
– Chile vs Mexico
– Japan vs France
– USA vs Italy
– Morocco vs South Korea
The Flying Eagles’ highly anticipated match will seek to build on their previous victory over the South Americans in the 2023 edition.
