Golden Eaglets head coach Manu Garba says the team is battle ready to conquer the rest of the continent at the 2019 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations starting on Sunday in Tanzania, Completesports.com reports.
Garbage will lead the Golden Eaglets looking to win a third title in Tanzania having won the competition twice in the past.
The West Africans secured their ticket to Tanzania after winning the WAFU B U-17 Tournament in Niger Republic in September last year after edging out perennial rivals Ghana on penalties in the final.
The five-time world champions will face hosts Tanzania, Uganda and Angola in Group A.
“Our first aim is to qualify for the World Cup and win the competition,” Garba told reporters on the eve of the team’s departure to Tanzania on Wednesday.
“It’s not going to be an easy task because the other seven countries have the same objective too, but we are going to give our best to ensure we come out tops at the end of the competition.
The Eaglets will take on their Tanzanian counterparts in Sunday’s tournament opener at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam.
The top four teams in the competition will represent Africa at the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals now scheduled for Brazil later this year.
By Adeboye Amosu
11 Comments
Sabi coach wey sabi good football these are the kind of matches I watch with pride and free mind without expecting any heartbreak or surprises. We are gat you Manu
Mr Rohr should humble himself and watch how build possession attacking football is well executed by following the Golden Eaglet. Garba is a coach that even after losing we still have something to cheer about because of the quality of play his ward exhibits. I am very sure he will do better against the foreign coaches in this tournament
True and what I realized with the other age group coaches is really amazing because Manu and Nduka are the ones who unearthed these talents yet all these u20 and 23 coaches find it hard to replicate the same especially that lazy u20 coach who will give excuses till thy kingdom come. I read on how Manu refused to take lateef Omidiji from then I knew this man is way very honest and I salute him for that but the same can not be said of some of these gaffers much credit to Manu if I was NFF I will pay him the most because he is the Chief scout of the final product. If you know you know!
Wooooow, but this are truly young boys.
I am so proud of this coach MANU GARBA and NDUKA UGBADE ,these are men that really know grassroot football and play good football.
GOODLUCK BOYS
For the first time, Nigeria will be parading a truely under 17 age boys for an under 17 competition. At least to the eyes they all look very young, unlike previous sets..
Wish you guys good luck
For the first time? Every squad in the 2010s: 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 including this squad have undergone several MRI tests before competition.
One test before the WAFU qualifier, one test before the AFCON qualifier and one test before the world cup proper.
This means that every squad have used age appropriate players for every tournament. Even those who have failed the tests between one competition and the next (maybe because they were marginal for example Ndidi and our goalkeeper now) have gone on to form the core of the national teams.
All the way from goalkeeper, to defence, to midfield to attack. More than half of the super eagles have come from players that have represented us at under 17, U20 and U23 level and the current under 23 has a lot of players from the Under 17 from 2013 and 2015.
That Nigeria had never paraded truly age appropriate players is just not true and especially in recent times when arguably we have been most successful
Uzoho never failed the test. He was a back up goalkeeper to dele alampasu
Do some folks not believe in scan machines that FIFA apply to determine the true ages of the players ? or they judge their ages by their faces and heights. It killed my joy to read how some Nigerians insinuate that a mare look of a kid face determines his age even when the most advanced scan machines are used to determine their true ages. l want folks to teach me because l am too dumb to know. Many years ago, some African Countries were banned by FIFA for cheating in the age group tournaments matches. If that was so, then, why would a World acclaimed coach like Manu Garba/Ugbada permit such fragrant rules of the law in their team at this time in their professional careers.
Oga you are not making any point jo
At least the Eaglets are looking like true U17 players..
Still remember the old men class of 2007,
Watching them that year against Haiti,in the group stage was an embarrassment..
Men against boys..
Goodluck to the BOYS..