The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will be out to record their first win at the WAFU B U-17 Championship when they take on Niger Republic at the University Stadium on Sunday.
Manu Garba’s side started their campaign on a not too impressive note battling to a 0-0 draw against Burkina Faso on Thursday.
Niger on the other hand defeated Benin 3-2 in their opening fixture.
The Golden Eaglets observed Friday as rest day before beginning preparations for the game against Niger on Saturday.
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The Nigerian boys must beat their opponent to boost their chances of earning a berth in the semi-final.
Defeat in particular could end their dream of a successful title defence.
Burkina Faso and Benin will clash in the other Group B encounter also on Sunday.
The two finalists from the competition will represent Africa at the 2025 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.
12 Comments
We have to win comprehensively and top our group, tournament has already kicked off so no more excuses let us forget about NFF and focus on putting smiles on Nigerian faces.
This is good point.
We will win. These eaglets can play, just need to convert their chances.
Please guys any link to watch the eaglets match today? Much appreciated
Go to YouTube is there
Nduka Ugbade should have been left to continue and raise this team… His team of last year was better and another go at the competition would have spurred him to better last year outcomes… Manu Garba has picked a weak team that is clearly subpar… Thinking these boys on parade are the best in Nigeria is an insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians!
They showing the match on YouTube
Type in Nigeria vs Niger and is there
This team cannot make the AFCON proper tournament… It’s a poor team. Nigeria’s pedigree at this level is far beyond what I see the current boys playing… this has nothing to do with having limited time for preparations. If Garba Manu knew time was too short he would have left the team for Ugbade…
9ja 1 up. The big #9
@Jimmyball we have started the condemnation blame again. It’s unfair to roundly condemn the coach and the team the way you did. I am sorry to say that. We know the circumstances surrounding this team. Sometimes, with situation like this we can still hold our breath for some time.
Upgrade failed with the team. While not condemning him but it is not bad to take the team from him and hand over to someone who is more experienced.
Sometimes we need to be patient at least. Nff bungled this again. But the tournament has started we can just watch on and hope for the best.
@ jimmyball so na ugbade go perform magic with a very limited time abi? Try and rational before you condemn people na haba, you are not been fair with ur condemnation at all very unfortunate
I’ll heap the entire blame on the NFF. Gusau and his merry band of misfits seem hell-bent on destroying Nigerian football. Nothing wey anybody fit tell me. I’ve seen madness before, but these guys have turned it into a performance art.
The moment Niger decided to actually play football, our team fell apart faster than a cheap suit in the rain. Why? Because the NFF’s idea of preparation is a complete joke. They run our national teams like they’re organizing a last-minute barbecue and forgot to buy the meat.
What exactly did you expect Manu Garba to do with only three weeks to prepare? One of those weeks was spent running around the country like a headless chicken, trying to find players! And then, just when he thought he had a team, half of them got disqualified by MRI scans. Seriously, what did you think would happen? Perform miracles?
There’s so much fundamentally wrong with the team and the NFF that it’s almost impressive. Every time we field U-17 players for a major tournament, it’s like playing Russian roulette with the MRI tests. And since 2009, when FIFA introduced these tests, the NFF hasn’t done a single thing to fix the issue. You’d think they’d figure out a plan by now, right? Nope. They wait until the camping exercise is almost done, the team’s feeling good, and then BAM! The MRI tests come in and half the squad is gone. It’s like inviting people to a party and then locking the door.
This lack of preparation is killing our development teams. The NFF’s bizarre habit of calling players to camp just weeks before a major tournament, sending them off without friendly matches, and then sacking the coach when they inevitably lose is the definition of insanity. Rinse and repeat every two years. It’s a terrible cycle, and nobody’s talking about it. The focus is always on the unlucky coach with the cursed job and the poor players who are always unprepared. It’s infuriating.
These are the issues that people like Segun Odegbami should be addressing in their columns. They have the platform and the voice to make a difference.
It’s high time we blew up the NFF’s social media handles with our complaints and held them accountable. We’ve got smart, passionate folks on this forum who can do this. Or are we just going to sit back and watch the one thing that brings us joy in this country get ruined? Where are my people? I’m seriously pained to see these talented lads huffing and puffing to beat Niger.