Nigeria at the FIFA U-20 World Cup: History
Nigeria will be making it’s 13th FIFA U-20 World Cup appearance when the 2023 edition gets underway in Indonesia In July.
SportsRation presents history of Nigeria’s twelve (12) previous FIFA U-20 appearances, permutations and expectations on the shoulder of Ladan Bosso tutored Flying Eagles.
APPEARANCES
Nigeria has appeared in twelve out of Twenty-four FIFA U-20 World Cup tournaments. The Flying Eagles first appearance was in 1983.
The tournament began in 1977 as the World Youth Championship until it was renamed the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005.
The Flying Eagles made it to the tournament in 1985, 1987, 1989, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Nigeria will be making a return to the competition after it’s 2021 was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Junior Eagles defeated Uganda by a lone goal in the U-20 AFCON quater-final on Thursday March 2, 2023.
BEST FINISH
The Flying Eagles have never won the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The teams best finish is second place spots at the 1989 and 2005 editions.
After a 3rd place finish in 1985, Nigeria went all the way to the final at the tournament in 1989. Portugal defeated 2-0 in the final game.
In 2005, a Lionel Messi inspired Argentina team denied the Samson Siasia tutored Flying Eagles the title in Netherlands. Argentina took the title with a 2-1 win after a keenly contested final game.
FLYING EAGLES PERFORMANCE AT THE WORLD : SUMMARY PER APPEARANCE
1983: Group stage
1985: Third place
1987: Group stage
1989: Second position
1999: Quater-finals
2005: Second Position
2007: Quater-final
2009: Round of 16
2011: Quater-finals
2013: Round of 16
2015: Round of 16
2019: Round of 16
PERMUTATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS AHEAD OF THE TOURNAMENT IN INDONESIA
How the Flying Eagles finish at the ongoing Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Egypt will lay the marker of expectations for the Young Eagles when the World Cup gets underway in May.
Technically, Head Coach Ladan Bosso has previously led Nigeria to the World Cup and so will be armed with sufficient experience to face the hostilities.
Personnel wise, the Flying Eagles team to the Nations Cup will be bolstered with some new faces just like the changes seen from the team that claimed the WAFU B Championship in 2022.
SportsRation expects the Flying Eagles to better their performance at the 2019 edition by at least making it to the Quater-finals.
A maiden title win is possible but that will require magical operations on the teams ability to score goals.
INDONESIA 2023
The Indonesia 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup is the 23rd edition of the tournament. The competition will hold from May 20 to June 11, 2023.
