By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have reaffirmed their status as a youth football powerhouse, with four players named in the WAFU B U17 Best XI following the conclusion of the group stage.
The tournament’s Technical Study Group unveiled the list, with Nigerian captain David Edeh leading the contingent. Edeh has been a pillar of consistency and leadership for the five-time world champions throughout the competition.
Joining him in the elite selection are winger Boluwatife Thompson, who has impressed with his pace and creativity; forward George Agha, who netted a hat-trick against Benin Republic and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of that match; and defender Godwin Menyaga, whose composure and strength have anchored Nigeria’s backline.
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Thompson also earned MVP honours in the Eaglets’ group-stage victory over Burkina Faso, underscoring the attacking threat he brings to the team.
The strong Nigerian presence in the Best XI further highlights the team’s technical quality and dominance in the regional championship.
Focus now turns to tonight’s highly anticipated semi-final clash against perennial rivals Ghana. The match kicks off at 8:00 p.m. (Nigerian time), with a place in the WAFU B U17 Championship final—and qualification for the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco—at stake.
In the earlier semi-final, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso were tied 1–1 at halftime, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
