Nigeria’s Flying Eagles opened their campaign at the 24th FIFA U20 World Cup with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Norway on Monday, despite dictating the pace and creating numerous scoring chances, especially after the break.
Norway took the lead as early as the 9th minute from a contentious penalty. The Flying Eagles pressed hard in response but were twice denied what looked like clear penalty calls in the second half.
Kparobo Arierhi came close in the 47th minute when his left-footed strike inside the box beat the goalkeeper but rolled agonizingly wide. Sixteen minutes later, Tahir Maigana’s powerful drive crashed against the base of the upright, leaving the Nigerians frustrated.
The two-time silver medallists piled relentless pressure on their European opponents, but Norway’s deep defensive line repelled wave after wave of attacks. In the 71st minute, Nasiru Salihu’s rising effort from the right had the crowd on its feet but sailed just over the crossbar.
With seven minutes left, Maigana tried his luck from distance, but his shot whistled past the post, sealing Nigeria’s fate on the night.
The Flying Eagles will now turn their attention to their second group match against Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
