Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been drawn in Group D of the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Poland along with reigning CONCACAF champions United States of America, Ukraine and Qatar.
Flying Eagles will open their campaign against Qatar on May 24 in Tychy, before clashing with USA three days later in Bielsko-Biala and then remain in the same city for their final pool match against Ukraine on May 30.
The Paul Aigbogun’s wards who finished as Africa’s fourth best team a fortnight ago at the CAF U-20 AFCON in Niamey, Niger Republic were lucky to avoid host country, Poland in Group A of the 22nd edition of the tournament. The hosts are to battle Colombia, Tahiti and another African representatives, Senegal.
Nigeria finished as runners-up at the FIFA U20 World Cup in 1989 (lost to Portugal in the final in Saudi Arabia) and in 2005 (lost to Argentina in The Netherlands), and won the bronze medals in the old Soviet Union in 1985 (when the Flying Eagles defeated the host nation on penalties in the third place match).
The Flying Eagles defeated USA in the semi finals of the 1989 finals in Saudi Arabia, when two goals by Mutiu Adepoju settled the encounter and took Nigeria to a first-ever final.
Groups:
Group A: Poland, Colombia, Tahiti, Senegal
Group B: Meixco, Italy, Japan, Ecuador
Group C: Honduras, New Zealand, Uruguay, Norway
Group D: Qatar, Nigeria, Ukraine, USA
Group E: Panama, Mali, France, Saudi Arabia
Group F: Portugal, Korea Republic, Argentina, South Africa
