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    2023 U-17 AFCON: Golden Eaglets Set For Final Training Camp In Germany

    Adeboye AmosuBy 1 Comment3 Mins Read
    Head Coach Nduka Ugbade has assured that Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will go all out against their Ivorian counterparts in Tuesday’s first semi final match of the ongoing WAFU B U17 Championship in Cape Coast, Ghana. Both teams take to the pitch of the 15,000 –capacity facility at 3pm Ghana time (4pm Nigeria time) before the second semi final between hosts Ghana and Burkina Faso at the same venue. “The match against Cote d’Ivoire is of high importance to us. In fact, I have reminded the players that this one is the biggest match of their lives. They must win to secure a ticket to the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, and from there to the U17 World Cup, and from there to several opportunities and possibilities. “Whatever we have done here (beating Ghana and Togo) will not mean much if we don’t go all out and grab our ticket to the AFCON and to the Final. We will throw everything into the fray.” The Eaglets, five-time world champions, decimated Ghana’s Black Starlets 4-2 in the tournament opener and then eased past Togo’s Young Sparrowhawks 3-1 to finish as Group A winners. The Ivorians finished as runners-up of Group B, dominated by Burkina Faso’s Young Etalons. Victory in Tuesday’s encounter will send the Eaglets into the Final and with an opportunity to reclaim the WAFU B U17 title they won in Niamey, Niger Republic four years ago. It also provides the Nigerian youngsters a revenge platform against the Ivorians, who defeated them in the Final of the same competition in Lome early last year. Both Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire qualified for the Africa U17 Cup of Nations from that tournament but the event was cancelled as hosts Morocco developed cold feet with the covid-19 pandemic still biting in some countries. Meanwhile, President of the Ghana Football Association, Simeon Kurt-Okraku on Sunday visited the camp of the Golden Eaglets in his capacity as President of WAFU B region. He reminded the lads that Nigeria belongs to the top echelon of football –playing nations on the African continent, and has produced so many world –class players. He charged the boys to always adhere to the instructions of their coaches in order to grow, advance and excel in the beautiful game.

    The Golden Eaglets under the tutelage of FIFA Cadet World Cup-winning captain Nduka Ugbade are gearing up for a final training camp in Germany ahead of the Africa U17 Cup of Nations due in Algeria between 29 April – 19 May.

    Last summer, the Golden Eaglets swept aside all before them to win the WAFU B U17 Championship in Cape Coast, Ghana which made them eligible for a spot at the continental finals.

    In February, the Eaglets had an extended training camp in Abuja, where the technical crew seized the opportunity to evaluate more players, and then went on break. Since resuming camp in Abuja a fortnight ago, following the country’s general elections, the team has played nine friendly matches, winning eight and drawing one.

    The five-time world champions have also scored 50 goals and conceded 11 goals. The latest friendly games were against Galadima FC on Easter Sunday, whom they defeated 3-1, and against V.P. Sports which they pounded 10-2 on Tuesday.

    Read Also: Osimhen: My Goal Is To Win The African Footballer Of The Year Award

    Ugbade, who captained Nigeria’s U16 team to FIFA World Cup victory in China in 1985, and was a key player for the U20 team that finished as runners-up at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia four years later, insists that the technical crew is not resting on its oars as they get set to pick the team that will go on the final training camp and onwards to Algeria.

    “We will continue to work hard as we look forward to the championship in Algeria. Our objective has not changed: we go hard for the World Cup ticket and then we aim for the trophy. First target is a ticket to the World Cup finals, and then we take things from there.

    “I have confidence in the squad we have been able to build, even as we are still utilizing every minute, every hour to tinker with what we have and see how it can get better.

    “We have a tough act to follow in that Nigeria has won the World Cup five times in this category, and nothing we do will be seen as special.

    However, we know that if we can win the Africa Cup, it will be a stepping stone to joining the great squads that have won the World Cup for Nigeria,” said Ugbade who was also part of the Super Eagles’ squad that qualified Nigeria for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 1993, and won the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia in 1994.


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    Adeboye Amosu

    Adeboye Amosu; Senior Content Writer. NPFL Expert, Super Eagles, Chelsea. Twitter: @SportsAde, Facebook: Adeboye Amosu

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