Nigeria’s Future Eagles have crashed out of the Tier C competition at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival after suffering a 6-3 defeat to Benin Republic in the Round of 16 in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday.

The defeat ended Nigeria’s six-match unbeaten run in the tournament, despite another impressive goalscoring performance from captain Timothy Ogar Ijachi, who scored twice, while Wisdom Boniface added the other goal. Blueprint reports

Benin’s young Guépards capitalised on their attacking opportunities to secure an emphatic victory, booking their place in the Tier C quarter-finals and bringing Nigeria’s hopes of winning the division’s title to an end.

The result was a disappointing setback for the Future Eagles, who had entered the knockout encounter on the back of an emphatic 7-0 victory over New Caledonia earlier on Wednesday.

Ijachi shines despite Nigeria’s defeat

Ijachi continued his remarkable tournament with a brace against Benin, taking his goalscoring tally to 11 goals and further underlining his importance to the Nigerian side.

The captain has been one of the standout performers for the Future Eagles, consistently finding the net throughout the competition and leading their attacking efforts.

He scored in Nigeria’s opening 3-3 draw against South Sudan before finding the net again in a 2-2 stalemate with Jordan.

The forward subsequently struck twice in another 3-3 draw against The Gambia, before scoring the winning goal in Nigeria’s 2-1 victory over Cyprus.

He also scored Nigeria’s goal in their 1-1 draw against Pakistan before producing a hat-trick in the 7-0 demolition of New Caledonia.

His two goals against Benin extended an extraordinary individual run, although they were insufficient to prevent Nigeria from suffering their first defeat of the competition.

Boniface also contributed to Nigeria’s scoring effort, registering his second goal of the tournament.

Benin’s attacking firepower proves decisive

Benin delivered a ruthless attacking display, with Noé Faton scoring twice and Kévin Nounagnon registering a hat-trick to lead their charge against Nigeria.

Faton struck in the third and eighth minutes to give Benin an early advantage and put the Future Eagles under immediate pressure.

Nounagnon subsequently took centre stage, scoring in the 21st and 22nd minutes before completing his hat-trick in the 35th minute.

Osias Assigbe also found the net in the 33rd minute as Benin maintained their attacking momentum in a high-scoring encounter.

Nigeria managed three goals through Ijachi and Boniface, but their opponents’ clinical finishing ultimately proved decisive.

The six goals conceded represented a significant defensive setback for a Nigerian side that had shown attacking promise during the earlier stages of the tournament.

Benin, meanwhile, demonstrated their ability to convert chances and punish defensive weaknesses, earning a place in the next round of the Tier C competition.

From six matches unbeaten to knockout elimination

Nigeria’s exit is particularly disappointing given their encouraging start to the tournament.

The Future Eagles had gone six matches without defeat, recording two victories and four draws before Wednesday’s loss.

They opened their campaign with a 3-3 draw against South Sudan before sharing the points with Jordan and The Gambia in two more entertaining encounters.

Their first victory came against Cyprus, whom they defeated 2-1, before a 1-1 draw against Pakistan brought their initial group-stage fixtures to a close.

Nigeria subsequently recorded a commanding 7-0 victory over New Caledonia to progress to the Tier C Round of 16.

In that encounter, Wisdom Oche opened the scoring in the first minute, while Ijachi scored three times. Abdulsalam Muhammad added a brace, and Mayowa Salu completed the rout.

The performance raised expectations ahead of the meeting with Benin, but the Future Eagles were unable to reproduce the same level of control and defensive solidity.

Their overall record now stands at seven matches played, two wins, four draws and one defeat.

Lessons for Nigeria’s youth development

Although the defeat ends Nigeria’s participation in the Tier C knockout competition, the campaign has provided valuable international experience for the young players.

Ijachi’s 11-goal haul stands out as one of the most significant individual achievements of Nigeria’s tournament, while the team’s seven-goal performance against New Caledonia demonstrated its attacking potential.

However, conceding six goals against Benin will raise questions about the team’s defensive organisation, concentration and ability to manage pressure in knockout football.

For the coaching staff, the priority will be to assess the shortcomings exposed by the defeat while building on the positives from the preceding matches.

The tournament also offers an opportunity to identify players capable of progressing through Nigeria’s youth development pathway and potentially representing the country at higher levels.

The Future Eagles will be disappointed to leave the competition at this stage, particularly after remaining unbeaten through their first six matches. Nevertheless, the experience of competing against international opposition should provide lessons for the players as they continue their development.

For Benin, the victory represents a major achievement and keeps their Tier C title ambitions alive as they advance to the quarter-finals.

Nigeria’s campaign has ended, but the performances of Ijachi and his teammates offer encouragement for the future, provided the lessons from Wednesday’s defensive collapse are put to good use.