Full steam ahead. The Argentina team beat an inconsistent and powerless Nigeria 4-0 in the round of 16 match of the “U20 World Cup in Chile 2025” played at the National Stadium in Santiago, advancing to the quarterfinals.
In this way, the “Albiceleste” will face the team of Mexico, which also qualified the day before with a 1-4 win over Chile.
With a goal from striker Alejo Sarco in the 2nd minute, a double from midfielder Maher Carrizo in the 23rd and 53rd minutes and the same goal from Matteo Silvetti in the 66th minute, Argentina took revenge against the Nigerians who, two years ago, eliminated it with a 2-0 in the phase when the South American team hosted the World Cup tournament.
The signature of forward Sarco prevailed by scoring the goal to open the scoring shortly after the start, as he had done in the group stage, and led to the Albiceleste victory, which was witnessed from the stands by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar.
The German Bayer Leverkusen player celebrated with his shoe in hand, as if it were a mobile phone. A call for the rest of his rivals in the fight for the Golden Boot of the competition, because the striker scored his fourth goal and is the leader among the scorers.
The play for the first goal began with forward Ian Subiabre, starting for the first time in the tournament, who attempted a shot that was rejected. The full-back Dylan Gorosito was attentive, who bit him, but he served as an assist for the scorer Sarco, who pushed it into the mouth of the goal, at minute 2, for the 1-0.
The Nigerians’ daze was short-lived and they went against the Argentine goal, but without scoring, while the “Albiceleste” took it calmly and in recovering the ball generated new scoring opportunities.
The most dangerous of the “Green Eagles” was a cross into the area that the Talleres goalkeeper, Santino Barbi, embraced after going into the low cut before the arrival of Orseer Achihi.
With a free kick inside the crescent, Argentina made it 2-0, a foul that midfielder Maher Carrizo took with a sharp left-footed shot, in the 23rd minute, to the left post of goalkeeper Ebenezar Harcourt.
Nigerian coach Aliyu Zubair wanted to seek a discount by requesting a penalty review, but Italian referee Maurizio Mariani did not grant it.
The African team closed the first half by insisting on the albiceleste area with Tahir Maigana but without precision in the shots.
Carrizo scored his double in the 53rd minute, defining the right post in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Harcourt, while Mateo Silvetti made it 4-0 in the 66th minute with a fake and a precise definition in the area.
This is how they aligned
– Argentina (4): Santino Barbi; Dylan Gorosito (m.76, Santiago Fernández), Valente Pierani, Tobías Ramírez, Julio Soler; Valentino Acuña, Álvaro Montoro (m.41, Gianluca Prestianni), Milton Delgado, Maher Carrizo (m.62, Teo Rodríguez), Ian Subiabre (m.45, Tobías Andrada); and Alejo Sarco (d.62, Mateo Silvetti).
– Selector: Diego Placente.
– Nigeria (0): Ebenezar Harcourt; Amos Ochoche, Daniel Bameyi, Aliyu Haruna, Odinara Okoro (d.70, Charles Agada); Daniel Daga (d.61, Emmanuel Ekele), Israel Ayuma (d.61, Abduljelil Kamaldeen); Tahir Maigana, Orseer Achihi (m.70, Azuka Alatan), Salihu Nasiru (m.61, Auwal Ibrahim); Kparobo Arierhi.
– Selector: Aliyu Zubairu.
– Goals: 1-0, m.2, Alejo Sarco. 2-0, m.23, Maher Carrizo. 3-0, m.53, Maher Carrizo. 4-0, m.66, Mateo Silvetti.
– Referee: The Italian Maurizio Mariani, who cautioned the Nigerians Salihu Nasiru and Emmanuel Ekele.
– Incidents: Match for the 8th. of the final of the «U20 World Cup in Chile 2025» played at the National Stadium in Santiago.
(With a report from María José Rey, from EFE)
