By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria’s U-20 men’s national team, the Flying Eagles, are on high alert as anticipation builds ahead of Thursday’s FIFA U-20 World Cup group stage draw.
The draw, which will be held in Santiago, Chile, will determine the group-stage fate of the Nigerian side, who secured qualification with a semi-final finish at the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Joining Nigeria at the global tournament are fellow African representatives Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa, all of whom booked their tickets with strong showings at the continental competition.
With a storied history in the FIFA U-20 World Cup — including two runner-up finishes in 1989 and 2005 — Nigeria will be aiming to finally clinch the elusive title when the tournament kicks off later this year.
As the Flying Eagles await their group opponents, preparations are expected to intensify, with technical staff focused on refining strategies and scouting potential rivals once the draw is completed.
The outcome in Santiago will chart the team’s path toward what they hope will be a historic campaign on the global stage.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
