Nigeria’s Future Eagles will begin the next phase of the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival on Wednesday after completing their group-stage campaign unbeaten in Baku, Azerbaijan.

 The Nigerian youngsters finished third in Group AD with seven points from five matches, recording one win and four draws to secure a place in Tier C of the competition.

 They rounded off the opening phase on Monday with a 2-1 victory over Cyprus and a 1-1 draw against Pakistan.

 Wisdom Oche scored Nigeria’s opening goal against Cyprus before captain Timothy Ogar Ijachi netted the winner to seal the comeback victory.

 Ijachi was again on target against Pakistan, equalising in the 25th minute after the Asian side had taken the lead through Kaleemullah four minutes earlier.

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 The results extended Nigeria’s unbeaten run after draws against South Sudan, Jordan and The Gambia in their earlier fixtures.

 Despite avoiding defeat throughout the group stage, the Future Eagles finished behind Cyprus and South Sudan in the standings, leaving them to compete in Tier C as the tournament moves into its second phase.

 The competition uses a tier-based format rather than eliminating teams at the group stage, allowing participating nations to continue playing for honours and final rankings.

 The second phase is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, with the tier finals to follow on Friday.

 The Future Eagles will hope to build on their attacking performances as they face the next challenge, with the tournament offering the young players valuable experience against international opposition.

 Nigeria scored 11 goals and conceded 10 across their five group matches, highlighting their attacking promise while leaving room for improvement defensively.

 The team will now look to turn their unbeaten record into stronger results in the knockout-style Tier C phase.