Flying EaglesThe Flying Eagles of Nigeria have been paired with five-time champions in Group D of the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup following Friday’s draw at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
The youth competition returns after four years following the cancellation of the 2021 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ladan Bosso’s team made it to the Mundial for the 13th time after finishing third at the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt and will also slug it out with Italy and the Dominican Republic in Group D.
Nigeria will hope to do better than their round of 16 appearances in their last three World Cup outings (2013, 2015 and 2019). The West African giants are two-time runners-up in the tournament, reaching the final in 1989 and 2005, losing to Portugal and Argentina respectively.
???? The stage is set. Which nation will lift the FIFA #U20WC trophy?
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) April 21, 2023
In other groups, the most successful U-20 World Cup team and 2023 hosts, Argentina, were paired in Group A with Uzbekistan, Guatemala and New Zealand while Group B comprises the United States, Ecuador, Fiji and Slovakia.
In Group C, 2023 U-20 AFCON champions Senegal will face Japan, Israel and Colombia in what is a resemblance of the senior Terenga Lions who faced the Blue Samurai and Los Cafeteros in Group H alongside Poland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Senegal’s next-door neighbour and 2023 U-20 AFCON runners-up, the Gambia, who are making their World Cup debut, will do battle with 2013 champions France, South Korea and Honduras.
Group E will see Tunisia, who finished fourth at the U-20 AFCON, up against 2017 champions England as well as Uruguay and Iraq.
The U-20 World Cup was originally scheduled to hold in Indonesia but the Southeast Asian country was stripped of its hosting rights after protests erupted to stop Israel’s participation due to their continued conflict with Palestine. Argentina were thus given the hosting rights.
