Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have issued a bold statement ahead of next month’s WAFU-B U17 Championship, smashing home 13 goals in just four preparatory matches as they gear up to host the regional showpiece, Soccernet.ng reports.
Picking up the pieces after a failed attempt to win gold at the National Sports Festival earlier in the year, the Golden Eaglets are fast becoming a team to take serious.
Under the watchful eye of head coach Manu Garba, the five-time world champions have combined ruthless attacking play with solid defensive organisation, winning all four of their warm-up games.
The run includes three clean sheets and only two goals conceded, a statistic that will please the technical crew as much as the goal tally.
Their latest outing was a commanding 5-0 victory over Winsome FC from Oporoza Island, Delta State, at the FIFA Goal Project, MKO Abiola National Stadium. The Eaglets struck twice before half-time, then turned on the style in the second half with three more goals to cap off a dominant display.
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Earlier, the national team lads dispatched Espora Football Academy of Abuja 4-0, edged GASA of Ilorin 1-0, and fought back from two goals down to beat Bandex Football Academy of Kebbi 3-2.
The WAFU-B U17 Championship, scheduled for September, will be staged in Ogun State at two modern venues: the newly upgraded MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta and the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne. Both facilities have been lauded by the Nigeria Football Federation for their world-class standard and serene environment.
The tournament is more than a regional contest. It also serves as the qualifying event for the 2025 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, the gateway to the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Nigeria, having missed the last two editions of both competitions, will see this as an opportunity for redemption in front of home fans.
With West African heavyweights Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, and Niger Republic all set to compete, the Golden Eaglets know they will need to be at their best to reclaim their place at the summit of youth football.
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup winners and two-time African champions.