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Golden Eaglet Starts Preparation For WAFU B U-17 Tournament

Published

8 months ago

Apr 17, 2024.

Manu Garba invites 51 players to Nigeria training camp for the upcoming WAFU B U-17 tournament.
Despite the short preparation time, Garba is optimistic about assembling a strong team.
Nigeria aims to bounce back from their previous setback and secure a spot in the U-17 World Cup.

Eko Hot Blog reports that with just under a month until the 2024 WAFU B U-17 tournament in Ghana, Coach Manu Garba has announced the invitation of 51 players to the camp in preparation for the event scheduled from May 15 to 29 in Accra.

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The coach subtly indicated that the team’s training camp would commence today, Wednesday, for the WAFU tournament, a crucial qualifier for next year’s U-17 AFCON.

Garba, recently appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation as the team’s head coach, brings with him a wealth of experience, having led the team to victory in the U-17 World Cup in 2013 and serving as an assistant during the 2007 triumph.

Now tasked with assembling a team for the upcoming tournament in Ghana, the 58-year-old is hopeful about uncovering new talents for the nation.

Nigeria Golden Eaglet Team

“I have just submitted the list of 51 players that will open camp hopefully on Wednesday (today),” Garba told Totori News.

“I have scouted most of those players, and some lists were given to me by some stakeholders. But I believe in the majority of the players I have scouted on my own, I have mandated them to have their MRI scan before they come to camp.

“Despite the short period to the WAFU tournament, I am very optimistic that we will raise a good team that will qualify for the AFCON because that is our primary assignment for now,” the coach added.

“We have short time to scout for players. They might not be the players that will play all through the AFCON and the World Cup. As we play friendly matches, there is the likelihood that we might see better players than we have in camp. We will tell such players to go for their MRI scan and fight for places.

“I’ve done that several times with the likes of Taiwo Awoniyi and co, who were not part of the screening, and look at what Taiwo is now playing for one of the EPL clubs, Nottingham Forest.”

Nigeria won the last WAFU B tournament, triumphing over Burkina Faso in the sub-regional final held in Ghana two years ago.