Flying Eagles coach Aliyu Zubair has expressed satisfaction with the team’s qualification to the knockout stages of the FIFA U-20 World Cup after holding Colombia to a 1-1 draw on Monday.
Colombia scored the opening goal in the 51st minute via Kener Gonzalez before Daniel Bameyi leveled parity for the Flying Eagles via the penalty spot in the 86th minute.
Nigeria advance as one of the best third-place teams to the Round of 16, where they will face Group D winners Argentina on Wednesday in Santiago.
After the game, Zubair praised the players for their ability to compete with Colombia and secure a spot in the Round of 16.
“It wasn’t easy but we stood our ground and were proactive.
“We knew they are physically strong and good on the ball so we tried to deny them passing lanes and that gave us a little edge.
“All we wanted was to qualify for the next round and we are not worried about who we have to face.”
