Two-time runners-up Nigeria’s delegation arrived in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, for a 10-day camp program ahead of this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup finals.
A contingent of 20 players and 10 officials left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abujaon Saturday night aboard a Turkish Airlines flight and traveled through Istanbul before heading to the “land of the pampas”.
With a record of finishing with silver medals in 1989 and 2005, and bronze medals in 1985, the Águilas Voladoras hope to crack the duck and take first prize in their 13th participation in a tournament they played for the first time. in Mexico 40 years ago.
That year, they stunned the then-Soviet Union 1-0 via a well-taken goal by Tarila Okorowanta in Monterrey, but then lost 3-0 to Brazil in their second game in Guadalajara. Needing a win to reach the knockout round, the Águilas Voladoras could only draw with the Netherlands in their last group game in Monterrey.
Nigeria has been drawn into Group D for this year’s championship and will play the Dominican Republic, Italy and Brazil in that order in the group stage.
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Their first two games will be played in Mendoza, in the far west of Argentina, against the Dominican Republic on May 21 and against Italy on May 24, before flying to La Plata to play Brazil on May 27.
La Plata, Santiago del Estero, San Juan and Mendoza are the four venues for the 24-nation championship.