Manu Garba tips Golden Eaglets to pick U17 World Cup ticket in Algeria

By Wale Mustapha

FIFA U17 World Cup winning coach, Manu Garba has talked up the chances of Nigeria’s U17 national team to qualify for this year cadet’s World Cup.

The Golden Eaglets will be participating in the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON in Algeria later in the year.

The tournament which will also serve as qualifying tourney for the U17 World Cup to be held in Peru and Coach Nduka Ugbade led team are paired against Zambia, South Africa and Morocco in the group stage.

Garba who won the FIFA U17 World Cup twice as Assistant (2007 and Head Coach (2013) with the Golden Eaglets expressed confidence in current set of the team, saying that they have what it takes to go all the way in Algeria.

“I think it’s a very tough group in the sense that there are no minnows again in African football and Morocco, Zambia and South Africa have a very good youth program.

“All the countries have very good youth programs but I must say Nigeria must have very serious about their first match because it is very important.

“For me, whatever happens in Nigeria must qualify from the group because of our experience and we have good players. I have watched the team train and play matches but now we can not say anything until the MRI scan is done because it will determine who is going to play.

“Should all the players pass the MRI then we should take the game as it comes and the most important is to qualify for the World Cup. I’m quite Nigeria will qualify for the World Cup”, he stated.

The 2023 U17 AFCON will be held between between 29th April and 19th May 2023.