Nigeria’s Future Eagles have been eliminated from the Tier C competition at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival after suffering a 6–3 defeat to Benin in the Round of 16 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The result ended Nigeria’s hopes of advancing further in the tier competition, with Benin’s U-15 Guépards securing a place in the Group C quarter-finals after a nine-goal contest.
The Future Eagles had swept aside New Caledonia 7–0 to reach the last 16, raising hopes that they could carry that attacking momentum into the knockout stage.
Instead, three goals were not enough to keep their campaign alive.
Captain Timothy Ijach scored twice against Benin, while Wisdom Boniface also found the net, but Nigeria could not match their opponents’ scoring output.
Ijach opened his account in the 26th minute before Boniface added Nigeria’s second two minutes later. The captain struck again in the 37th minute to complete his brace and take the Future Eagles’ tally to three.
Benin, however, scored six times to secure a 6–3 victory and end Nigeria’s run in the Tier C Round of 16.
The defeat left Nigeria unable to convert their attacking contributions into a result that would have extended their stay in the competition.
The 7–0 win that raised expectations
Nigeria entered the knockout fixture after producing one of their most convincing performances of the tournament against New Caledonia.
The Future Eagles scored seven unanswered goals in their Round of 32 encounter, with Wisdom Oche opening the scoring in the first minute.
Ijach then took center stage, scoring in the 12th, 16th and 35th minutes to complete a hattrick. Abdulsalam Muhammad added two goals in the 21st and 39th minutes, while Mayowa Salu completed the rout in the 40th minute.
The performance showcased Nigeria’s attacking potential and offered encouragement ahead of the meeting with their West African neighbors.
But the contrast between the two knockout matches was stark. After keeping a clean sheet and scoring seven times against New Caledonia, Nigeria conceded six goals against Benin and exited the Tier C competition.
How Nigeria reached the knockout stage
Before entering the tier competition, Nigeria finished third in Group AD with seven points from five matches.
The Future Eagles recorded one victory and four draws, scoring 11 goals and conceding 10 during the opening stage.
Their results were:
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Nigeria 3–3 South Sudan
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Jordan 2–2 Nigeria
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Nigeria 3–3 The Gambia
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Cyprus 1–2 Nigeria
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Pakistan 1–1 Nigeria
Their only group-stage victory came against Cyprus, before the commanding win over New Caledonia gave them another opportunity to progress.
However, the defeat to Benin brought that opportunity to an end, despite Nigeria scoring three goals in the Round of 16.
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Benin will continue their campaign in the Group C quarterfinals after overcoming Nigeria in the Round of 16.
For the Future Eagles, the result provides a disappointing conclusion to their Tier C participation, particularly after the attacking promise shown against New Caledonia.
Their tournament included 11 goals in the opening group stage, a 7–0 knockout victory and three goals against Benin. Yet those attacking contributions could not prevent elimination when their West African rivals found the net six times.
The 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival uses an eight-a-side format, with matches played over two 20-minute halves.
Nigeria’s Tier C campaign is now over, while Benin move forward with a place in the quarterfinals secured.
