Argentina were the favourites to claim the trophy especially as they were on home soil, but the Flying Eagles had other plans
Flying Eagles defender Daniel Bameyi has revealed that their team spirit and resilience played a major role in their 2-0 victory over Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Flying Eagles were underdogs when they squared off against hosts Argentina in the Round of 16 of the Under-20 World Cup on Wednesday.
The South Americans scored ten goals in the group stage and coupled with the fact that they would have the backing of the home fans, Nigeria had a tough job on their hands.
Argentina dominated the fixture, they had 66 percent possession and 27 attempts on goal.
However, the Flying Eagles maintained a strong front despite the barrage of attacks. They eventually claimed the victory thanks to two beautiful goals from Rilwanu Sarki and Ibrahim Mohammed.
Bameyi was instrumental to Nigeria’s victory on the night. He registered six clearances, two blocked shots, and three tackles.
Speaking about the game, Bameyi has revealed that it was a tough fixture, but their resilience saw them through.
“It was a great game, I must say. It’s a great national team we’re talking about, a very amazing team,” Bameyi told FIFA TV.
“They are very complete. This team is very special. If you watch the game, they made us suffer.
“We did suffer a lot in the game, but we know this Nigeria spirit. The team wasn’t intimidated because we have been in this situation before.
“We were playing in Egypt against the hosts, and we came out successfully (Nigeria won 1-0 in Cairo at the U-20 AFCON in February). So we were ready for everything.
“We knew we were going to play against everything, against the hosts, and at the end of the day we are happy we came out victorious.
Nigeria face South Korea in the quarterfinals on Sunday. The Asians have had a good run in the tournament, defeating France and Ecuador.
They are very quick and decisive in the final third. Bameyi and the other defenders would have to be at their best if they want to claim a result.
