Nigeria’s Future Eagles finished the first stage of the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival with a 1-1 draw against Pakistan in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
Pakistan took the lead in the 21st minute through Kaleemulah before Timothy Ijach equalised four minutes later to restore parity. Neither side could find a winner as the match ended in a stalemate.
The result left Nigeria with seven points from five matches in Group AD, recording one win and four draws. The Future Eagles began their campaign with draws against South Sudan (3-3), Jordan (2-2) and The Gambia (3-3), before securing a 2-1 comeback victory over Cyprus earlier on Monday.
Nigeria finished third in the group behind Cyprus and South Sudan, who collected more wins. By placing third, the Future Eagles advanced to Tier C of the tournament phase, where all 32 third-placed teams from the group stage will compete.
Under the festival format, no team is eliminated early. All participating nations progress into performance-based tiers, with group winners entering Tier A, runners-up Tier B, and third-placed sides such as Nigeria moving into Tier C for a 32-team cross-elimination bracket.
The Future Eagles will open their Tier C campaign on Wednesday, October 28, against another third-placed team. Regardless of the result, they are guaranteed further placement matches through October 30 to determine their final ranking within the tier.
