Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will compete against Colombia, Saudi Arabia, and Norway in Group F at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile. The opponents for the Flying Eagles in the group stage were determined during the draw held in Santiago, Chile, early Friday morning. Meanwhile, Africa’s U-20 men’s champions, South Africa, are in Group E alongside France, New Caledonia, and the USA. Morocco, which placed second at the U-20 AFCON, has a challenging group that includes five-time champions Brazil, Mexico, and 1999 winners Spain. Additionally, Egypt will face the host country Chile, Japan, and New Zealand in Group A. The top two teams from each of the six groups will progress to the Round of 16, along with the four best third-placed teams. The FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile is scheduled to run from September 27 to October 19. The Flying Eagles earned their place in the World Cup by finishing third at the U-20 AFCON in Egypt. In the previous U-20 World Cup held in Chile in 1989, it was a disappointing tournament for the Flying Eagles as they were eliminated in the group stage, where they were grouped with the reigning champions Brazil, Italy, and Canada, and suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat against Brazil in their opening match. In their second match, they allowed a last-minute goal, resulting in a 2-2 draw with Canada, and then they lost 2-0 to Italy in their final game. The Flying Eagles have been runners-up in the World Cup on two occasions, in 1989 and 2005. Ghana is still the only African nation to have won the U-20 World Cup, a title they secured in the 2009 edition held in Egypt. Upcoming: 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup group stage draw. Group A consists of the following countries: Chile, Egypt, Japan, and New Zealand. Group B consists of Korea Republic, Panama, Paraguay, and Ukraine. Group C consists of Brazil, Mexico, Morocco, and Spain. Group D consists of Argentina, Australia, Cuba, and Italy. Group E consists of France, New Caledonia, South Africa, and the USA. F Group: Colombia, Nigeria, Norway, and Saudi Arabia.
