Nigeria Golden Eaglets. Photo Credit: NFF Comms
Nigeria are the most successful nation in the history of the FIFA U17 World Cup but the Golden Eaglets have not made it to the Mundial in six years
All 20 members of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been cleared to feature at the WAFU-B U17 Championship after passing mandatory MRI age tests in Côte d’Ivoire, Soccernet.ng reports.
The tests, conducted by CAF’s medical team on Thursday morning, confirmed Manu Garba’s squad is eligible to compete in Yamoussoukro.
The five-time world champions open their campaign against Benin Republic on Wednesday, 24 September, before taking on Burkina Faso in their second Group B fixture.
Group A includes hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Niger Republic.
Coach Garba, who guided Nigeria to U17 World Cup glory in 2013 with the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho and Taiwo Awoniyi, has set a clear target: securing qualification for next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
“I’m proud of the boys, and I know they are all ready to represent this country. They are not only ready to represent the country, but also to qualify for the under-17 AFCON, which is the main objective of us going to this WAFU tournament,” Garba said.
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Nigeria’s build-up has been strong, with ten wins, two draws and a single defeat from 13 warm-up games, scoring 25 goals and conceding just five.
The squad, originally preparing for a home-hosted event in Abeokuta and Ikenne, travelled to Côte d’Ivoire midweek and are now settled in Yamoussoukro, where the games will be staged at Stade du Lycée Scientifique.
Garba, himself a former youth international who played at the 1983 World Youth Championship, insists his team has the talent and mentality to go all the way.
“The boys are ready to shine and make Nigeria proud,” he added, expressing confidence that his squad can challenge for the title and secure one of the prized continental tickets.
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are two-time winners of the U17 AFCON but the last of those trophies came in 2007. The Eaglets failed to qualify for the 2025 edition of the continental tournament.