According to a report by PUNCH published on October 27, 2026, Nigeria’s Future Eagles recorded their first victory at the ongoing FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, after defeating Cyprus 2-1 before playing a 1-1 draw against Pakistan in their final group fixture on Monday. The results extended Nigeria’s unbeaten run in the competition, although the team struggled to turn several opportunities into victories.

The Future Eagles started their encounter against Cyprus on the back foot after Georgios Christodoulou gave the European side the lead in the 12th minute. Nigeria, however, responded positively and restored parity five minutes later through Wisdom Oche, who found the back of the net in the 17th minute.

Nigeria continued to push forward in search of a winning goal, and their efforts eventually paid off through substitute Timothy Ijach. The youngster made an immediate impact after coming on, scoring nine minutes later to complete the comeback and secure a 2-1 victory for the Nigerian team. The result marked their first triumph at the tournament.

The Nigerian youngsters returned to action later on Monday, facing Pakistan in their final group-stage match. However, they were unable to reproduce their winning performance, as both teams settled for a draw after an evenly contested encounter.

Pakistan opened the scoring in the 21st minute through Kaleemullah Ullah, who finished from close range after receiving the ball around the penalty spot. Nigeria responded four minutes later when Ijach reacted quickly to a loose ball inside the penalty area and scored in the 25th minute to bring his team level.

Despite further efforts from both sides, neither team managed to score again, and the match ended 1-1.

Before these encounters, Nigeria had recorded draws against South Sudan, Jordan and The Gambia, with the respective matches ending 3-3, 2-2 and 3-3. Consequently, the Future Eagles completed their group-stage campaign with seven points from five matches, recording one victory and four draws.

Nigeria scored 11 goals and conceded 10 throughout the group stage, demonstrating their attacking strength while also exposing weaknesses in their defence. Their final standing will determine their position in the next phase of the competition.

The inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival is taking place in Baku, featuring an eight-a-side format with two 20-minute halves. The tournament has attracted participation from 189 FIFA member associations, making it the organisation’s largest youth competition to date.

The Future Eagles will now aim to build on their unbeaten record as they prepare for the next stage of the tournament, hoping to improve their defensive organisation and maintain their attacking effectiveness.