Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been forced into a last-minute squad reshuffle ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile. Defender Marvellous Freedom suffered a knee injury during training and consequently sat out the team’s friendly match against Australia on Tuesday night.

In response, head coach Aliyu Zubairu has moved swiftly to fill the gap, handing a surprise call-up to Wikki Tourists’ reliable centre-back Haruna Aliyu. The young defender is scheduled to join the squad in Chile on Friday morning.

The Flying Eagles, seven-time African champions, are already in Talca City—the venue for their Group F fixtures—where they will take on Norway, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia. Nigeria will begin their World Cup campaign next Monday against Norway, aiming to make a strong statement despite the setback.