Nigeria’s youth football teams are in the spotlight this week as the Falconets, Flying Eagles, and Golden Eaglets all continue their quests for international success in different competitions.
The Falconets returned to the country yesterday morning after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Rwanda’s She-Amavubi in Kigali on Sunday, in the first leg of their 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash.
Alaba Olabiyi’s decisive strike with 20 minutes left at the Kigali-Pele Stadium gave Nigeria a crucial away win ahead of Saturday’s return leg at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.
The squad has already moved to the Oyo State capital to resume intensive preparations, with spirits high as they look to seal a place in the third round of the qualifiers on home soil.
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Meanwhile, the men’s U20 side, Flying Eagles, continue fine-tuning their readiness for the 24th FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile. After being held to a 1-1 draw by host nation Chile in Rancagua on Saturday, with Ahmed Akinyele finding the net for Nigeria, the Eagles will now face Australia in a warm-up game today at the Complejo Deportivo Ruca Mapu in Santiago. The clash kicks off at 5pm Chile time (1pm in Nigeria).
At the World Cup proper, Nigeria will compete in Group F against Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia, while Australia face Italy, Cuba, and Argentina in Group D.
At the same time, Nigeria’s U17 boys, the Golden Eaglets, are also in action as they launch their campaign at the WAFU-B U17 Championship in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
The five-time world champions will open against Benin Republic on Wednesday at the Stade du Lycée Scientifique, as they aim to qualify for the 2025 Africa U17 Cup of Nations – the gateway to the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar.
The competition began over the weekend with Côte d’Ivoire defeating Niger Republic 2-0, while Ghana and Togo played out a 1-1 draw in Group A. In Group B, Burkina Faso edged Benin 1-0 on Sunday.
