By Teddy Nwanunobi
Nigeria’s Future Eagles, on Thursday, lost to Chile 3-2 on penalties, after a thrilling 3-3 draw in regulation time in their classification semi-final at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival.
This was their second consecutive loss in the tournament.
They had suffered their first loss on Wednesday, after falling 3-6 to Benin Republic, which eliminated them from Tier C competition.
The Nigerian youngsters were unable to secure victory in regulation time before Chile prevailed in the penalty shootout to advance in the classification fixtures.
Following the defeat, the Future Eagles will now battle Panama in their final match of the tournament as they seek to finish in 75th place.
The encounter is scheduled for today (Friday, October 30), at the Hovsan Pitch 7B, Hovsan Competition Complex, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Kick-off is set for 8:30 a.m. Nigerian time.
The match represents Nigeria’s final opportunity to end their campaign on a positive note after missing out on victory against Chile.
