Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will take on hosts of the 2023 U-20 FIFA World Cup Argentina in the round of 16, Completesports.com reports.
The game comes up on Wednesday, May 31 inside the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario.
The pairing was confirmed after the Flying Eagles finished as one of the third best placed teams.
After opening their campaign with wins against Dominican Republic (2-1) and Italy (2-0), the Flying Eagles lost 2-0 to Brazil in their last Group D game on Saturday.
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Argentina finished top in Group A with nine points from three games.
In their first game against Uzbekistan, Argentina won 2-1, beat Guatemala 3-0 before spanking New 5-0.
The last time the Flying Eagles faced Argentina at the U-20 World Cup was in the final of the 2005 edition in the Netherlands.
A brace from Lionel Messi sealed a 2-1 win for Argentina against Nigeria.
43 Comments
This mountain is too tall for flying eagles ke, and this not like 2005 flying eagles that beat Holland the host nation in the quarter final
Nigeria vs Agentina wahala don come so
What an unlucky pairing . Just a little caution could have prevented us playing against Argentina. If the coach had played cautiously we could have been facing another team. Any way let’s see what will happen. Jinx are meant to be broken.
When somebody warn of this problem some days back a member here clap on the person, now we have to face Argentina that is both triggish and a host for that member. Ok
Trickish I mean
If u aspire to be the champion of a competition , then u must be ready to play against the best and find a way to over come them. So Argentina is a good test for the flying eagles.
Same mistake against Tunisia during AFCON will still repeat itself. It just a pity Nigeria don’t learn from past mistakes, you are facing a team that is very trickish and same time the host
Welcome development.
This is the end of solomon grundy
Flying Eagles should confirm return flight tickets, check out of their hotel and take their luggage to the stadium for the game against Argentina.
Hahahahahaha . This is too funny
Good pairing!!!
Nigeria needed a draw against Brazil to top the group. Instead, Bosso got carried away and emotional, decided to attack Brazil, leaving the defence exposed
and so?, how do you all know Argentina is going to win, because they are the host?, look they will be under pressure in the knockout stage and also this is age grade soccer, anything can happen.
You are right Bobo, anything can happen.
I am still struggling to understand why some fans think Nigeria is better-off facing Argentina than The United States in this tournament.
Foe one, sub-Saharan African countries with the possible exception of Cameroun have historically struggled against footballing-savvy, technically superior South American countries.
If we had met The United States, at least it would have been on neutral ground, equal footing. As good as The United States has gotten in soccer, they don’t have the fear-factor that surround Argentina in soccer. At least, not yet.
This Nigerian team despite its notable deficiencies was capable of getting a good result against The Americans. It’s hard to see that being the case in this upcoming fixture.
You never know in soccer, though.
Because the ball is round.
If you’re watching this tournament you’ll know why majority chose Argentina over the US.yes history has been unfair to sub Saharan nations against south American nations but in this tournament watching the US and analysing them made me realize that a football program set up by jurgen klinsmann in 2013 is now producing results,4 yrs ago in this same tournament we were comprehensively outplayed by the US who relied on the talents of certain players like Weah,De la Fuente, Aaronson and Sargent but this crop is a more tactically fluid and technical side that will relentlessly outplay any team on this tournament whereas the Mascherano led crop of Argentina u-20 were not supposed to be in this tournament because they lost all their qualifying games but are here anyway due to hosting rights- are not as good as the 2007 set led Bautista, they’re a bit workmanlike and rely heavily on certain key players like Carboni,Soule, Romero etc so personally I prefer a slugfest with Argentina than to be toyed around by the US,besides Argentina are a bigger football nation so no shame losing to them and don’t forget about the rivalry which tends to bring the best out of our teams.
Oya, tactical geniuse Ladan Bosso, over to you lol
I can’t stop laughing with the comments I’m reading above, lolz. Anyways, who knows tomorrow? I hope we all remember Afcon 2013 against Ivory Coast?
Late Keshi and Super Eagles shocked NFF that bought the return tickets of the entire team of the Super Eagles before the match against
Ivory coast and Nigerians that already looked down the Eagles.
Hmmm lol. For that reason, I remain humble, and I wish Flying Eagles the best against the host country, Argentina. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
If the officiating is fair… I see no reason why we can’t beat the Argentines at home. The boys have played Colombia, Brazil and should by now know that the difference between a South American team and an African Team facing each other is mentality and aggression… Only Cameroon in Africa goes against South Americans with the right mentality of not feeling inferior or timid, we must become like that.
South Americans are as tough and rough as Africans but they tend to face African teams with a mindset and air of feeling superior to African sides… the other thing with Argentines is they play like Algerians using tricks and deceptions to fool referees combined with delay tactics once they are ahead.
Argentines will come into the game seeking to get a Nigerian key player sent off… they won’t want to risk playing Nigeria on equal and fullstrength for 90minutes… I pray our boys know this and apply tact and wisdom, against Brazil, the referee sided and gave Brazil unfair advantage in certain decisions.
I am inclined to thinking that the referee will give such kind of unfair decisions in favour of the Argentines but our boys can do the following to win that game…
1. Man-to-man marking and no allowance of space to Argentines right after the centre circle or anywhere near our goal area and to shoot at the edge of our box.
2. We must utilize deadballs well and play a 5man midfield, 4man defence such that fullbacks prioritize sitting back as opposed to bombing forward.
3. We must double team forays into our 18yrd box and screen the defence properly, that will be the job of a double pivot, which I will prefer NNadi and Daga.
4.I would have loved to play Emmanuel Umeh as a No.10 against the Argentines and let Eletu come from the bench when we need to swap bodies later, I see Umeh as a better ball player and more versatile to Eletu who disappointed me in the last game.
5. We must Attack the Argentines with caution because they are wicked with quick counters, and we have to approach the game with calm and not desperation or haste as we did against Brazil. Salim Fago can start in attack and be asked to charge and harass the Argentine central defence consistently when they are trying to play out.
6. We must defend very well and if we don’t get an early goal and go into the lead, we must continue keeping our shape and playing with discipline and patience as a team to make sure the Argentines don’t go into the lead also.
Barring any refereeing biases and unfairness, I think the game will be tough but on home soil, the Argentines are beatable. We have tasted Brazil and if not for 4minutes madness, recklessness and playing timidly in the first half without proper organization and structure, I don’t see anything spectacular that the Brazilians did against us.
The end of the ROAD has come. If you can’t beat Brazil, how are you going beat to the almighty Argentina at home? If you think they host this entire tournament to loose to common Nigeria in their own backyard, think again. Pack all your things ready boys. Nice try. You have to leave the Country 2 hours after the thrashing. My friend, Omo9ja, stop dreaming and face reality when it hit you. Argentina is very far from home. A draw with Brazil would have done the trick but not now this time. I don’t need to comment on this match again. It is all over. Bye our Nigerian boys. See you again perhaps in U23 qualifying matches if you are still around. God Bless.
@Edoman
There is nothing almighty about Argentina. They did not even qualify for this championship in the first place. During the 2023 South American U-20 Championship, they only won 1 out of 4 matches. They are here because FIFA gave them a last-minute hosting right. I don’t know what’s going to happen on Wednesday, but I wish the Flying Eagles all the best.
This is the most shifty comment here….u should just shut up if you don’t have something better to say.
You don’t even know football to understand that Nigeria is not in the Under 23 qualifications, so how will you know how this match will end ?
He mean’t the next Olympic playoffs not the current one.
There is nothing special about this argentines. With luck on our side and fair officiating we can beat them.
Argentina is out!!
Obviously you didn’t follow the south American qualifiers…. Argentina originally didn’t qualify for the world cup.. they were disgraced by Colombia and Brazil that we both have played against.. Argentina is in this world cup because the original host was striped of their hosting right..
A team that struck the bar against the almighty Brazil twice will give Argentina some good game.. watch highlights of all the Argentina games, it was against very weak teams, they had the simplest grouping at the group stage.. while Nigeria was in a group of death…
If our boys can get things right, we should win Argentina.. thank God this is the era of var, no fake goals will be allowed..
Same mistake of AFCON Tunisia, it is like we don’t learn from past mistake. No matter how poor form an opponent is don’t play with history.
Who will score the goals first, don’t forget Argentina is a very tricky side that use any means to get what they want. Secondly they are hosting team, Wednesday is not far, hope some of us will not cry foul play
END OF ROAD, OHHHH NOOOOOOO.
BOSSO NOR GET HEAD. NO TALENT TO WIN ARGENTINA. NAWAO! I WISH ASIWAJU FIT RIG THIS ONE. END OF THE ROAD AGAIN.
TOO BAD FOR A COUNTRY WITH COUNTLESS TALENTS IS STUGGLY BECAUSE OF POLITICS, TRABALISM, RELIGION FACTOR AND SECTIONALISM. WASTEOF RESOURCES.
4 5 1 formation can change the dynamic of the game. Pack the midfield deny the Argentines any spaces especially in the midfield, don’t allow Romero to run at our defense. Hopefully Jagaban govt will bring smiles to Nigerian faces.
I warned that we needed a result against Brazil to avoid scenarios like this. While teams aspiring to be champions should be ready to beat the best, it will be suicidal for you not to do permutations at this early knockout stage to meet “weaker” opponents so that you do not go home early. While I agree that no team is unbeatable, we had our round of 16 destiny in our hands but chose to squander it. Now we have to shape in or shape out!
By the way, @sportsradio88.fm, who’s going to win the match, and what will be the final score? I’m assuming you should be watching the match now or already did since it’s 2 days away.
So I believe him?
Ah, I don’t believe him o @Selfmade. Not sure he’s got any of his predictions or “prophecies” right. Even the last one, he said it’ll be 2-1 (cos he’s already watched it in an earlier dimension or reality) but it ended 2-0. I’m just playing around. He might get lucky someday. Lol.
Officiating is my main headache when it comes to football in general and African teams are always on the wrong foot of the callings. Argentina qualified via stripping of original hosting right from Indonesia or so. Argentina started peaking match by match, if they officiating is fair Nigeria will easily win but I don’t expect fair officiating because VAR and other officials will not display actions that favors Nigeria.
Negotiations presently going between FIFA n Argentina FA on how favour done in helping out with hosting can be returned. FOOTBALL POLITICS we must not ignore in games like this.
Flying Eagles must go into this game to play their skin out while expecting every form of negative calls against them from the referee if they hope to scale through this game. Is it possible to beat the host ? YES VERY POSSIBLE but must come from a mindset geared towards closing every available space to play as well as being quickest to meet every ball; not getting over ambitious with wayward long range shot but very composed/calculative. WE MUST UNDERSTAND FIFA’S MAIN PRIORITY IS PROFIT AND THAT COMES FROM FANS COMING TO STADIUM. SO WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING WE MUST PLAY A GAME THAT WILL CONVINCE EVEN FIFA BEYOND EVERY DOUBT THAT WE DESERVE TO QUALIFY FOR THE QUARTER FINALS.
If Nigeria play the way they played against Italy they will win 2-1. This is the first real test for Argentina. Believe me they are not fantastic they are beatable. Nigeria will win.
Ask yourselves this question, Are the Argentines happy that after finishing first in their group that their reward is this particular best third place team? I think not!
Fellas, calm down. This is always when Nigerian teams are at their best when most people count them out. I prefer this position to the one where everyone’s telling the boys they’re world beaters. Besides like a few have already mentioned, this Argie squad is nothing exceptional. Both teams will line up face to face on Wednesday and may the better side prevail
There is no cause for alarm my brothers in the house. Argentina are not a good team, and they have not really played a more mature team like Nigeria. This match will go on to favour Nigeria flying Eagles.
My production
Nigeria 2
Argentina 0
Mark my words.
Well so far so good,there is nothing to be afraid of over the Argentina, the are defitable as team, nothing is so special about them,if only the Eagles will face the game as one of the finals,they will come out with a positive results. Go on Eagles and make Tinubu proud and give him a welcome truphy,He is solidly behind you guys.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the commentators especially the submissions of Jimmmyball and glory.
You guys really showed a high knowledge of our games.
Going forward, I believe we are commenting with the hope that our coaches or those who can reach them will sift the wheat from the chaff and present it to them to ponder over.
I just hope that Bosso will learn from the last match with Brazil and not instruct the players to play with brute Force without brain.
My observation from the last match is as follow:
(1) The officiating hinder our boys from fully expressing themselves, the Brazilians employed deceit in diving at every little touch and having studied the referee as being sympathetic to their plot, exploited it to the confusion of the flying eagles at a point they were afraid to make tackles, it killed their morale.
They should expect the Argentines to deploy this strategy cos south Americans football philosophy is hinged on this tactics:Will Bosso tell the players how to counter it?
(2) The Brazilians were getting to the ball first,I HOPE THE COACH SAW IT?
(3) Individual game was rife in that last match I hope and has been talking to the boys.
(4) Our goalkeeper lacks confidence on the ball, he manifested these weakness in the last match, pls try another one.
(5) Playing against the host will require taking your chances and playing very smart know that the crowd will be behind them.
(6) Fortify your back four to advance aimlessly forward knowing they are very fast and dangerous.
(7) Coach Bosso, I noticed what was lacking in the ball the players lobbed into box 18, there was usually not enough players in the opponent 18 this is contrary to Nduka Ugbade approach, his players are often sufficient in the box as at the time of lobbing the ball, Pls Bosso look into it.
From my observation our team lacks exceptional players no doubt and I think is characteristics of Bosso style but if we take a look at the various submission no doubt with never say die naija spirit we can cross Argentina hurdle.
I made this observation not cos am a coach but my patriotic duty to contribute my quota to the success of our team,
Pls anybody who can make Bosso read our comment should pls do so. Wishing the flying eagles the best.
not to advance aimlessly I mean, again what happened to set pieces, if only he makes a rule to the players that: That it’s a big let down of any player kicking ball over the bar whenever he is to play a dead ball situation. The ball Shou either go in, caught or blockedand by no not played over the bar.