The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria on Thursday opened their WAFU B U17 tournament account with a goalless draw against Burkina Faso in Accra.
Nigeria, coached by Manu Garba, a former U17 World Cup winner as a coach, went into Thursday’s game with the hope of a win, but the heavy downpour played its part in the game as they settled for a share of the spoils.
In a repeat of last year’s final in the same competition, the young stallions of Burkina Faso flew out of the blocks early as the Nigerians struggled to get going in the opening exchanges.
Nigeria’s skipper Simon Cletus, who was one of the talking points before the game, was at the heart of every attack for the Nigerians in the cagey contest.
After Nigeria missed a great chance to go in front, Burkina Faso nearly punished them at the other end with an effort coming off the upright and defender Boluwatife Ekishola with also an all important block in the box to prevent his side from going behind.
The two goalkeepers were barely tested as the half came to an end with the scoreline still the same.
Upon resumption of play, the heavens also opened up and the downpour was quite heavy. The treacherous weather conditions made play difficult for the Golden Eaglets who emerged from the tunnel the better side.
Midway through the half, Simon missed a great chance. The skipper latched onto a fine pass from midfielder Muiz Oladimeji before dragging his effort wide. In the closing stages, an effort did also come off the upright as both teams eventually settled for a draw.
With the point, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets and Burkina Faso sit joint top of Group B of the championship ahead of the clash between Togo and Niger.
The Golden Eaglets will face Niger Republic in their second game on Sunday, needing all three points to stand a chance of reaching the semifinals.
