By Dayo Awoniyi
Golden Eaglets head coach, Manu Garba, has expressed confidence that Nigeria’s U-17 team will deliver a strong performance when they host the 2025 WAFU B U-17 Championship in Ogun State next month.
The five-time world champions are currently camping in Abuja, where they have recorded five wins in recent warm-up matches as part of their preparations.
“The team is preparing well for the WAFU B U-17 Championship, and I’m working to build a solid squad,” Garba told Brila FM.
“That is why these friendly games are important. We are still improving, especially in front of goal, and we will correct those mistakes.”
Garba, who guided the Golden Eaglets to FIFA U-17 World Cup glory in 2013 and was also part of Nigeria’s victorious 2007 technical crew, said that while the team is still a work in progress, encouraging signs are evident.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that Ogun State will host the regional tournament, with matches scheduled for the refurbished MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta and the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
Other participating nations include Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger Republic, Benin, and Togo, alongside hosts Nigeria.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
