2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup: Future Eagles record first win against Cyprus

Nigeria’s Future Eagles secured their first victory at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, coming from behind to defeat Cyprus 2-1 in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday morning.

The Nigerian youngsters recovered from an early setback to score twice in the first half, with Wisdom Oche and captain Timothy Ijach finding the net to complete an impressive turnaround.

Cyprus took the lead in the 12th minute through Georgios Christodoulou, putting Nigeria under pressure early in the encounter.

However, the Future Eagles responded five minutes later when Wisdom Oche equalised in the 17th minute to restore parity.

Nigeria continued to push forward and completed the comeback in the 26th minute, with Timothy Ijach scoring the decisive goal to put Patrick Bassey’s side ahead.

The Future Eagles maintained their advantage until the final whistle, securing a 2-1 win and registering their first victory of the tournament.

The result offers Nigeria a timely boost after three consecutive draws in their opening fixtures against South Sudan, Jordan and The Gambia.

Nigeria had started the competition with a 3-3 draw against South Sudan before sharing a 2-2 result with Jordan. They subsequently played out another 3-3 draw against The Gambia.

The victory over Cyprus gives the Nigerian team renewed confidence as they continue their campaign at the inaugural tournament, which features an eight-a-side format.

The Future Eagles are scheduled to face Pakistan in their remaining group-stage fixture as they seek to build on their first win and improve their position ahead of the next phase.

With Oche and Ijach delivering the goals that secured the comeback, Nigeria will hope to carry the momentum into their final group match.