Nigeria’s Flying Eagles Suffer 4-0 Defeat To Argentina To Crash Out Of U20 World Cup

Argentina delivered a dominant performance on Wednesday night, defeating Nigeria’s Flying Eagles 4–0 in their Under-20 World Cup round of 16 clash to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

The match, held at the Estadio Ciudad de la Plata in Chile, saw the South Americans control proceedings from start to finish.

They were sharp, disciplined, and clinical, while Nigeria struggled to find any real rhythm despite a few promising moments in attack.

Argentina wasted no time setting the tone. Just two minutes in, Alejo Sarco found the net from close range after a neat assist from Dylan Gorosito, putting Nigeria immediately on the back foot.

Their lead doubled in the 23rd minute when Maher Carrizo curled a stunning free-kick into the top corner, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Nigeria tried to respond, but wasteful finishing let them down. Tahir Maigana, Daniel Daga, and Amos Ochoche all missed good chances, with Daga’s header before halftime drawing an excellent save from Argentine goalkeeper Santino Barbi.

After the break, Argentina stayed in control. Carrizo struck again in the 53rd minute, calmly slotting home following a precise through ball from Milton Delgado.

Thirteen minutes later, Mateo Silvetti made it four, driving a low shot past Ebenezer Harcourt after dancing through two defenders.

Frustration got the better of Nigeria in the 77th minute when Emmanuel Ekele received a yellow card for a rash challenge, confirmed by VAR.

Late efforts from Kparobo Arierhi and Auwal Ibrahim did little to change the outcome.

By the final whistle, Argentina were in complete command, dictating play and keeping Nigeria pinned in their own half.

The win highlighted Argentina’s strength, while the loss knocked Nigeria out of this year’s tournament, ending the campaign for the two-time runners-up.

KanyiDaily recalls that Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle recently named 23 players for Nigeria’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Benin Republic this October.