An Ibrahim Said’s hattrick ensured Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets booked a place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA U-17 World Cup after the team defeated Ecuador 3-2 on Tuesday.

The five-time winner of the tournament began the encounter like a house on fire as they took an early lead through Ibrahim Said’s brilliant finish in the 5th minute.

Despite the team dominance, Ecuador levelled parity a few minutes later through Daniel Jinadu’s own goal in the 10th minute.ADVERTISEMENT

The South American team took the lead in the 56th minute via a penalty that was converted by Johan Andreé Mina.

However, the Nigerian team came back strongly as Said grabbed his double in the 86th minute with a cool finish before scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute that sealed the victory for the Golden Eaglets.

Nigeria next face Australia in the final Group B fixture on Friday.