2023 FIFA U20 World Cup: Nigeria Defeats Argentina 2-0, Storm Quarter-Final

Nigeria Flying Eagles defeated host nation Argentina as goals from Ibrahim Muhammad and Rilwanu Haliru Sarki led to the elimination of the six-time champions out of the FIFA U20 World Cup at the Round of 16 on Wednesday night May 31, 2023.

 The Flying Eagles scored two goals on quick counter-attacks that had the Albiceleste Sub-20, who had won all their three matches in the group phase, crashed out of the tournament.

Head Coach Ladan Bosso had promised that his boys would give as much as they got, and they did that and more with clear intent from the 9th minute when a snapshot by Ibrahim Muhammad on the edge of the box went narrowly off.

Goalkeeper Chijioke Aniagboso had saved from Barco in the 51st minute and Jude Sunday’s shot was held by the opposition goalie, before the two-time silver medallists struck the underside of the bar with an intelligent shot from the edge of the box by Tochukwu Nnadi in the 58th minute.

The hosts escaped there, but three minutes later, from a long Aniagboso ball out, substitute Emmanuel Umeh found an onrushing Muhammad who stretched beyond the attention of two defenders and slotted beyond the advancing goalkeeper into the net.

Two minutes later, Umeh could have turned goalscorer when he ran powerfully down the left and planted himself in a good position, but dragged his shot a little too wide.

Carboni saw his shot held by the calm and collected Aniagboso and then headed wide, before Umeh again came close only to be foiled with the goalkeeper beaten.

The stylish Romero hit the upright with a shot in the 83rd minute, and Abel Ogwuche cleared the ball as two Argies were set to pull the trigger again in the 85th minute.

Javier Mascherano’s boys pushed forward in search of the equalizer, but AC Milan of Italy’s Victor Eletu showed doggedness to hold on to another long Aniagboso ball out of defence, and then lifted for Haliru Sarki to nod into the net with style for Nigeria’s second with one minute into added time.

The victory somewhat compensated for Argentina’s 2-1 defeat of Nigeria in the final of the 2005 edition of the competition in The Netherlands, when Lionel Messi scored twice from the penalty spot to deny Nigeria, the African champions.

Meanwhile, the victory took the Flying Eagles to the quarter-finals, where they will meet the winner of the Ecuador/South Korea Round of 16 duel to be decided on Thursday.