Nigeria Future Eagles Thrash New Caledonia 7-0 to Reach Tier C Round of 16

Nigeria’s Future Eagles recorded a commanding 7-0 victory over New Caledonia on Wednesday to progress to the Tier C Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Nigerian youngsters dominated the encounter, scoring seven goals without reply to continue their campaign in the tournament’s second phase.

Wisdom Oche opened the scoring in the first minute before Timothy Ijachi took control of the contest with three goals.

Abdulsalam Muhammad also scored twice, while Mayowa Salu completed the scoring as Nigeria secured their biggest victory of the tournament so far.

Oche, Ijachi Lead Nigeria’s Goal Fest

Nigeria made an immediate impact, with Oche finding the net in the first minute to give the Future Eagles an early advantage.

Ijachi doubled Nigeria’s lead in the 12th minute before adding his second four minutes later to put the team firmly in control.

Muhammad made it 4-0 in the 21st minute as Nigeria continued to convert their attacking opportunities.

Ijachi completed his hat-trick in the 35th minute, taking his tally to three goals in the match.

Muhammad struck again in the 39th minute before Salu scored in the 40th minute to round off the 7-0 victory.

Nigeria 7-0 New Caledonia: Goal Scorers

• 1’ Wisdom Oche

• 12’ Timothy Ijachi

• 16’ Timothy Ijachi

• 21’ Abdulsalam Muhammad

• 35’ Timothy Ijachi

• 39’ Abdulsalam Muhammad

• 40’ Mayowa Salu

Future Eagles Continue Their Progress in Baku

The victory comes after Nigeria finished third in Group AD during the qualification stage, collecting seven points from five matches.

Head coach Patrick Bassey’s side recorded one win and four draws, scoring 11 goals and conceding 10.

Nigeria opened their campaign with a 3-3 draw against South Sudan before playing out a 2-2 draw with Jordan. They subsequently drew 3-3 with The Gambia.

The Future Eagles secured their first qualification-stage victory with a 2-1 comeback win over Cyprus before ending the group phase with a 1-1 draw against Pakistan.

Their third-place finish placed them in Tier C for the second phase of the competition.

The 7-0 win over New Caledonia gives Nigeria a strong start to that campaign.

Next Match: Future Eagles Await Benin or Cuba

Nigeria will face the winner of the match between Benin and Cuba in the Tier C Round of 16 on Wednesday, 27th October.

The Future Eagles will look to build on their emphatic victory as they continue competing for the Tier C title.

The FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival features an eight-a-side format, with matches played over two 20-minute halves. Teams are placed into six tiers based on their performances during the qualification stage, with each tier having its own winner.

Nigeria’s attention now turns to Thursday’s fixture as the team seeks to maintain its momentum in Baku.