By Umahi jeremiah
Nigeria’s U-15 boys’ national team, the Future Eagles, have intensified preparations for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they are scheduled to play five group-stage matches in three days.
The team, led by head coach Patrick Bassey, is currently camping at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project Hostel at Package B of the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja ahead of the tournament.
The Future Eagles have been drawn in Group AD alongside Cyprus, The Gambia, Jordan, Pakistan and South Sudan in the competition, which will run from October 24 to 30.
Nigeria will begin their campaign against South Sudan on Saturday, October 24, at 11:30 a.m. Nigerian time before facing Jordan at 9:45 a.m. and The Gambia at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 25.
The young Nigerians will round off their group-stage fixtures on Monday, October 26, with matches against Cyprus at 8:30 a.m. and Pakistan at 3:15 p.m.
The tournament will feature an eight-a-side format, with matches played over two 20-minute halves. Teams will compete in a round-robin group stage before advancing to a second phase determined by their group positions.
Unlike conventional tournaments, no team will be eliminated after the group stage. Instead, the competition will be divided into six tiers, each producing a winner, with the Tier A winner crowned champion of the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival.
Following the group-stage matches, teams will have a rest day on October 27 before the tournament stages begin on October 28 and 29. The tier finals are scheduled for October 30, with departure set for October 31.
The competition is expected to provide the Future Eagles with valuable international exposure and an opportunity to test themselves against young players from different footballing nations.
