Future Eagles Thrash New Caledonia 7-0 to Reach U-15 World Cup Round of 16

Nigeria’s Future Eagles thrashed New Caledonia 7-0 on Wednesday to advance to the Tier C Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Nigerian youngsters dominated the encounter, with Timothy Ijachi scoring a hat-trick as the team recorded their biggest victory of the tournament so far.

Wisdom Oche opened the scoring in the first minute before Ijachi netted twice in the 12th and 16th minutes to give Nigeria a commanding 3-0 lead.

Abdulsalam Muhammad extended the advantage in the 21st minute before Ijachi completed his hat-trick in the 35th minute.

Muhammad scored his second goal of the match in the 39th minute, while Mayowa Salu added the seventh in the 40th minute to seal the emphatic victory.

The result gives the Future Eagles a strong start to the second phase of the competition after finishing third in Group AD with seven points from five matches.

Head coach Patrick Bassey’s side recorded four draws and one win during the qualification stage, scoring 11 goals and conceding 10.

Nigeria drew 3-3 with South Sudan, 2-2 with Jordan and 3-3 with The Gambia before securing a 2-1 comeback victory over Cyprus. They ended the group phase with a 1-1 draw against Pakistan.

Their third-place finish placed them in Tier C for the next stage of the tournament.

The Future Eagles will face the winner of the match between Benin and Cuba in the Tier C Round of 16 on Thursday, October 29, as they seek to maintain their momentum and compete for the tier title.