Nigeria’s Flying Eagles secured a place in the Round of 16 at the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Colombia in Talca on Monday morning.
Goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt produced key saves in the 23rd and 26th minutes to keep Nigeria level, while the team pressed forward with several near-misses from Tahir Maigana, Kparobo Arierhi, and Suleman Sani.
Colombia took the lead in the 51st minute through Kener Gonzalez, who converted an assist from Neyser Villareal. However, the seven-time African champions responded with relentless pressure, and Odinaka Okoro was denied a goal in the 76th minute by the Colombian goalkeeper.
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Their persistence finally paid off in the 86th minute when captain Daniel Bameyi equalized from the penalty spot after a handball in the box. Nigeria almost clinched victory late on, but Arierhi’s 89th-minute effort was blocked.
The result means Nigeria will face Argentina at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos in Santiago on Wednesday — a repeat of the 2001 quarter-final clash that Nigeria won 2-0 in San Juan.
Colombia will play South Africa, while Norway will meet Paraguay in the other Round of 16 fixtures.
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