Nigeria’s Future Eagles beat Rwanda 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The win sends them into the 73rd–76th-place semi-finals at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The result gives the young Nigerians a chance to improve their final ranking. Their hopes of winning the Tier C title ended earlier with a 6-3 loss to Benin Republic in the Round of 16.
Wisdom Boniface put Nigeria ahead with a free-kick in the 26th minute. Rwanda levelled in the 39th minute. The match then went to a penalty shootout.
The Future Eagles stayed calm from the spot. They scored four penalties to Rwanda’s three and moved on.
Their next opponents are Chile. The South Americans also won on penalties after a 3-3 draw with Japan.
Nigeria’s campaign has had its highs. The team thrashed New Caledonia 7-0 earlier in the tournament, with captain Timothy Ijach scoring a hat-trick. The loss to Benin Republic followed.
Classification matches give teams knocked out of the title race more games and a chance to climb the standings. The Future Eagles will now look for another win against Chile.
