Fifa U20 WC Nigeria 1-1 Colombia: Five observations from Flying Eagles draw with La Tricolor

Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Colombia in their final Group F encounter at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca on Monday morning.

Kener González put the South Americans ahead six minutes after the restart, but Daniel Bameyi's late strike in the 86th minute rescued a point for the Flying Eagles.

The draw ensures that both teams advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Allnigeriasoccer.com presents five observations from the match.

Aliyu Zubairu makes one change

Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has made one change to the lineup that started against Saudi Arabia in their second group fixture.

The former El-Kanemi Warriors boss handed a starting spot to Haruna Aliyu in defense, replacing Ahmed Akinyele, who endured a difficult outing against the Asian side.

Akinyele struggled in aerial duels and was substituted during the match, with Aliyu coming on to steady the backline.

Following his impressive display in the second half, Aliyu retained his place in the starting XI for the final group clash against Colombia.

Referee makes right VAR call

The referee made the correct decision to award the Flying Eagles a late penalty after a VAR review in the closing moments of the game.

Nigeria earned the spot-kick when Tahir Maigana's goal-bound effort struck the hand of a Colombian midfielder attempting to block the shot.

Following appeals from the Nigerian players, coach Aliyu Zubairu requested a review.

The referee was subsequently called to the pitchside monitor and, after examining the incident, awarded the penalty.

Daniel Bameyi stepped up confidently to convert, securing a vital goal for the Flying Eagles.

Sulaiman Sani to miss Argentina clash

Flying Eagles forward Sani will miss the Round of 16 clash against Argentina after receiving a yellow card in the closing stages of the game.

Sani tracked back to stop a Colombian attack, bringing down his opponent at the edge of the box — an action that earned him a caution from the referee.

Although the resulting free kick sailed over the bar, the booking means the striker will be suspended for Nigeria's crucial knockout tie against Argentina.

Nigeria hit the woodwork three times

The Flying Eagles converted a late penalty but were unfortunate not to find the net from open play.

Nigeria struck the woodwork three times over the course of the match.

Sulaiman Sani was first to rattle the crossbar early in the second half, just minutes after Colombia had taken the lead.

Later in the game, Tahir Maigana also hit the bar following a brilliant team move down the right flank.

Colombia strong in aerial duels

Colombia displayed impressive aerial dominance, winning most of the duels against the Flying Eagles' attacking players.

Their defenders, particularly Yeimar Mosquera, were alert throughout, effectively clearing crosses and neutralizing Nigeria's aerial threats.

Adeyemi Adewale

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