Five-time world champions Nigeria will begin the quest for another under-17 football title on Wednesday when the Golden Eaglets head to the Ghanaian city of Cape Coast.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Golden Eaglets are to participate in the seven-team WAFU B Under-17 Tournament which begins on Saturday.
The two finalists from the tournament in Cape Coast will represent the WAFU B zone at the Africa Under-17 Cup of Nations billed for Algeria early next year.
All four semi-finalists in Algeria will qualify for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup finals in Peru.
Nigeria alongside three-time world champions and hosts Ghana will set the tournament rolling on Saturday at the Stade Cape Coast from 4 p.m. (5 p.m. Nigeria time).
Team Head Coach Nduka Ugbade won Nigeria’s first world title as team captain in 1985 in China, aside from other wins as assistant coach.
He says his primary objective now is obviously to earn a ticket to the AFCON finals in Algeria.
“I am happy with the squad that we have been able to come up with, and I can say confidently that we are going to Ghana to do the nation proud.
“Our primary objective is to earn a ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations, and then we go full throttle for the trophy.
“Nigeria have a pedigree in under-17 football and we cannot afford to disappoint.”
Ugbade has picked 20 players for the campaign in Ghana, which will last until June 24, with five more players on standby.
The Golden Eaglets are in the competition’s Group A, with their second match against Togo on Tuesday, also at the Stade Cape Coast.
Golden Eaglets’s Squad for WAFU B Under-17 Tournament
Goalkeepers: Richard Odoh, Hameed Balogun, Pascal Uzoho
Defenders: Jeremiah Olaleke, Emmanuel Michael, Tochukwu Ogboji, Yahaya Lawal, Miracle Ogwor
Midfielders: Basil Mbata, Ebube Okere, Tochukwu Ogbabido, Richard Uche, Ozor Okeke, Raphael Oyebanjo
Forwards: Umar Abubakar, Kevwe Iyede, Light Eke, Abubakar Abdullahi, Jubril Azeez, Precious Williams
Standby: Utibe Silas, Abdullahi Buhari, Abubakar Shaibu, Tijjani Mohammed, Stephen Emmanuel
NAN
