Nigeria’s Flying Eagles suffered a narrow 1–0 defeat to Norway in their opening Group match at the 24th FIFA U20 World Cup on Monday, despite creating several late chances to equalise.
The Scandinavians struck early in the 9th minute from a controversial penalty, leaving Nigeria chasing the game.
Ladan Bosso’s men responded strongly, but appeals for two penalties in the second half were waved away by the referee.
The Flying Eagles came agonisingly close to scoring on multiple occasions:
- Kparobo Arierhi fired wide in the 47th minute with the goalkeeper beaten.
- Tahir Maigana rattled the upright in the 63rd minute before unleashing a long-range strike that flashed narrowly wide late on.
- Nasiru Salihu also tested the Norwegian defence with a powerful 71st-minute effort that sailed just over the bar.
Despite sustained pressure and dominance in the closing stages, Nigeria could not find a breakthrough.
The Flying Eagles will now shift focus to their second group fixture against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, knowing a positive result is vital to keep their qualification hopes alive.
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