Eaglets face old foes B’Faso in WAFU U-17 opener

By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 16, 2024

National U-17 men’s team, Golden Eaglets, will begin their WAFU B U-17 title defence in Ghana on Thursday (today) against old foes, Burkina Faso, the team that prevented them from reaching the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia last year.

Led by coach Nduka Ugbade at the last WAFU B tournament in 2022, the Eaglets beat Burkina Faso 2-1 to win the title but the Burkinabe prevailed when it mattered most at the 2023 U-17 Nations Cup in Algeria, beating Nigeria 2-1 in the quarter-finals to deny the five-time world champions a World Cup ticket.

Although it’s a new crop of players on both sides, the little bit of history between them will put revenge in the minds of the players as they begin another journey to the 2025 Nations Cup as well as the expanded 2025 World Cup in Qatar.

In March, the FIFA Council confirmed that the U-17 World Cup would be expanded to 48 teams and held annually, rather than biennially, as part of the governing body’s steadfast commitment to youth football.

Now under 2013 World Cup-winning coach Manu Garba, the Eaglets have scaled the first hurdle of passing the mandatory MRI test, with Garba exuding confidence about the quality of the team, having had his squad pruned by failures in the same test before departing Nigeria.

“We are happy about the results. Having the whole squad to prosecute the tournament somewhat puts our minds at rest,” Garba told NFF media.

“The players have been responding to training. The weather is similar to what we experienced in Abuja before our departure. Our primary objective is to get one of the two tickets from here to the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations. We will focus on the matches one at a time. For now, we are focused on our opening game against Burkina Faso on Thursday (today).”

According to the media officer of the team, Francis Achi, one of the players in the last squad, Simon Cletus, has been handed the task of captaining the team.

The Eaglets’ game against Burkina Faso will take place at the Ghana University Stadium, Accra by 4pm Nigerian time, before they take on Niger Republic on Sunday by 7pm Nigerian time and Togo on Wednesday by 5pm Nigerian time.

 

 

Source Punch Ng

Posted May 16, 2024


 

You may also like...
Osimhen eyes 60th Napoli goal in season opener...

Sports Ministry Replaces Solomon Ogba In AFN Board...

Enyimba, Wikki win big in NPFL run-in

Anichebe to help end Sunderland’s goal drought: Moyes...

Okowa, Ibori Honoured as National Patrons of Nigeria...

BIG MATCH PREVIEW: Nigeria, Algeria in crunchy World...

 

Latest News Lagos SWAN Appoints SWANECO As Buildup To Election Begins Esther Okoronkwo: Canadian club hails Super Falcons star who stepped up when it mattered in WAFCON final Super Falcons Over Ran Morocco In Grudge Comeback Game Confirming Mission X Isak situation has to be right for Newcastle - Howe Hojlund's fight to answer Man Utd's striker question Inter to make €45m Lookman offer next week Man Utd won't sell players on the cheap - Amorim Players fear consequences of speaking out - Fifpro Messi ‘very upset’ after MLS suspension for All-Star no-show WAFCON 2024 Finale: The Grudge Game Of Wits, Brawns Ensues As Hosts Morocco Dares Nigeria Late Drama as Morocco Files Shock Petition to Disqualify Nigeria’s Plumptre & Alozie Hours Before Final Newcastle consider Sesko amid Isak uncertainty

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,598 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,769 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,768 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,362 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (44,361 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (44,345 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (44,161 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,709 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,808 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,428 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,861 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (39,292 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media