Nigeria’s men’s national U17 team; the Golden Eaglets have departed the country ahead of the 18th U17AFCON billed to commence in Tanzania on Sunday.
This set of Golden Eaglets are coached by Manu Garba (head coach when Nigeria won the World Championship at this level in 2013) and the team left the country from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday ahead of their participation in the event they missed two years ago.
The Golden Eaglets secured their ticket to Tanzania after winning the WAFU B U17 Tournament in Niger Republic in September last year, and will be aiming to be one of Africa’s four flag-bearers at the FIFA U17 World Cup finals now scheduled for Brazil later this year.
Garba’s boys will commence their U17 AFCON campaign on Sunday when they face hosts Tanzania in the tournament’s opening game at the National Stadium in Dar es Salam at 2pm Nigerian time.
The tournament has produced the likes of African footballing great Nwankwo Kanu, Celestine Babayaro (1993) John Mikel Obi (2003), Kelechi Iheanacho (2013) among others in times past and all eyes will be on talented duo Akinkunmi Amoo and Olakunle Olusegun in the present squad.
After Sunday’s encounter, the Eaglets will tackle Angola on Wednesday, April 17 before facing Uganda on Saturday, April 20 in their final group game in Mbagala. The four semifinalists will qualify for the World Under-17 Championship in Brazil later in the year.
Golden Eaglets class of ’19
Sunday Stephen, Shedrack Tanko, Ogaga Oduko, Samson Okikiola Tijani, Clement Chigozie Ikenna, David Akulo Ishaya, Olakunle Junior Olusegun, Mayowa David Abayomi, Wisdom Ubani, Adrian Akande, Mubaraq Gata Adeshina, Shuaib Abdulrazaq, Akinkunmi Ayobami Amoo, Olatomi Alfred Olaniyan, Charles Etim, Suleman Shaibu, Peter Agba, Divine Nwachukwu, Ibraheem Olalekan Jabaar, Fawaz Abdullahi, Ayomide Oluwabusola
