FIFA U-15 W/Cup& Festival: Benin Republic Send Future Eagles Packing After 6-3 Win

Nigeria’s Future Eagles have been knocked out of the Tier C competition at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival after a shock 6-3 defeat to Benin Republic on Wednesday in Baku, Azerbaijan.

After thrashing New Caledonia 7-0 in the Round of 32 this morning, Nigeria came into the Round of 16 full of confidence but were blown away by the U15 Guepards.

Captain Timothy Ijach led the fight with a brace – taking him to 11 goals in the tournament – and *Wisdom Boniface* also scored, but Benin were ruthless.

Benin responded with six goals of their own to secure a 6-3 win and book a place in the Tier C quarter-finals.

The result is a bitter blow. The Future Eagles had been the better side all tournament – finishing Group AD with 7 points (1 win, 4 draws), scoring 11 and conceding 10, before that emphatic 7-0 win over New Caledonia where Ijach hit a hat-trick, Muhammad scored twice, and Oche and Salu also netted.

But defensive frailties that had seen them concede in every group game finally cost them. They finish the tournament with 21 goals scored in 7 games.

Benin advance to face the winner of the Tier C quarter-final bracket on Thursday, while Nigeria will now play placement matches to determine final ranking before the tournament closes on Friday, 30 October.

The Festival uses an 8-a-side format with two 20-minute halves, with teams split into six tiers based on group performance.

James Agberebi is a sports content creator and analyst with a passion for football and other sports. He writes sports news, match reports, and analysis to keep fans informed about the latest developments in the sporting world. James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national teams. His experience covering Nigerian football gives him a good understanding of the game and the teams he writes about. Through his work with Complete Sports, James shares sports updates, match coverage, and analysis with readers in Nigeria and around the world.