Nigeria’s U-15 national team, the Future Eagles, will seek to bring their campaign at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan to a winning conclusion when they face Panama in their final classification match on Friday.

The encounter, scheduled for Hovsan Pitch 7B at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, will determine the 75th-place finish in the historic competition.

The match is scheduled for 9:30 am Nigerian time (11:30 a.m. Baku time).

The Nigerian youngsters head into the encounter following a painful penalty shootout defeat to Chile in Thursday’s classification semi-final. The match ended 3-3 in regulation time before Chile prevailed 3-2 on penalties.

FROM PROMISING START TO CLASSIFICATION BATTLE

The Future Eagles began their campaign with encouraging performances in Group AD, remaining unbeaten throughout the five-match group stage.

Nigeria opened with a 3-3 draw against South Sudan before sharing the points with Jordan in a 2-2 encounter.

They subsequently played out another 3-3 draw against The Gambia before recording a 2-1 comeback victory over Cyprus.

Their final group-stage fixture ended in a 1-1 draw against Pakistan.

Nigeria finished third in Group AD with seven points from five matches, recording one victory and four draws, scoring 11 goals and conceding 10.

SEVEN-GOAL STATEMENT BEFORE BENIN SETBACK

The second phase brought mixed fortunes for the Nigerian side.

The Future Eagles produced one of their most impressive performances of the tournament with a commanding 7-0 victory over New Caledonia.

Wisdom Oche opened the scoring in the first minute, while Timothy Ogar Ijachi scored a hat-trick. Abdulsalam Muhammad contributed two goals, with Mayowa Salu completing the emphatic victory.

However, Nigeria’s hopes of winning the Tier C championship suffered a major setback when they lost 6-3 to Benin Republic in the Round of 16.

Ijachi scored twice, while Wisdom Boniface added another goal for Nigeria. Despite their attacking efforts, the defeat ended their hopes of lifting the Tier C title.

The competition adopted a tier-based structure, ensuring participating teams continued playing beyond the initial group stage, irrespective of their results.

The tournament’s six divisional finals will take place on Friday at Baku Crystal Hall, with Czechia and Spain contesting the Division A championship.

The awards presentation and closing ceremony will follow the main final.

NIGERIA TARGET WINNING FAREWELL

For the Future Eagles, the encounter against Panama represents more than a classification fixture. It is an opportunity to finish their first appearance at the competition with a positive result after an eventful campaign of encouraging performances, difficult defeats and valuable international experience.

Captain Timothy Ogar Ijachi has been among Nigeria’s standout performers, demonstrating impressive goalscoring ability throughout the competition.

The Nigerian team will hope to translate their attacking quality into a final victory as they seek to conclude their historic Baku adventure on a high note.

Regardless of Friday’s outcome, the experience will provide valuable lessons for the young players and the country’s long-term youth football development.