By Dayo Awoniyi
Golden Eaglets head coach Manu Garba says Nigeria will produce an even stronger display when they meet Burkina Faso in their final Group B clash at the ongoing WAFU B U-17 Championship in Yamoussoukro.
The five-time world champions sealed a semi-final berth with a 4-1 win over Benin Republic on Wednesday — an impressive result for a squad only assembled a month ago.
Saturday’s encounter will decide who tops the group, with both Nigeria and Burkina Faso level on course for the last four.
Garba believes his young team is only beginning to show its potential.
“We will see a better Nigerian team as the tournament progresses,” he said.
“This squad only came together about a month ago, and the match against Benin was their first international test. With every game, they will gain experience, rhythm, and confidence.”
The Eaglets are not just chasing a semi-final slot but also a ticket to the 2026 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, with the top two finishers in Yamoussoukro advancing.
Burkina Faso, known for their physical and competitive youth sides, are expected to offer sterner opposition. But Garba is backing his players to rise to the challenge and underline Nigeria’s status as tournament favourites.
A win on Saturday would confirm Nigeria as Group B leaders and reinforce their credentials as the team to beat.
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.
