By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
George Agha stole the spotlight with a stunning hat-trick as Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets powered to a 4–1 victory over Benin Republic in their opening WAFU-B U17 Championship clash.
The forward opened the scoring just three minutes in, calmly converting from the penalty spot after Boluwatife Thompson was fouled inside the box.
Nigeria doubled their lead soon after through Edeh’s precise free-kick, before Agha struck again in the 14th minute to put Manu Garba’s boys firmly in control.
The Eaglets’ dominance continued with slick attacking play that kept the Beninese under pressure.
On 32 minutes, a clever exchange between Thompson and Edeh tore open the defence, and goalkeeper Warris Soumanou’s hesitation allowed Agha to complete his hat-trick in emphatic fashion.
The treble not only sealed his Man of the Match award but also sent Agha straight to the top of the competition’s goalscoring chart, making him an early contender for the Golden Boot.
Nigeria will look to build on this commanding start as the tournament progresses.
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.
