By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the appointments of Manu Garba and Moses Aduku as head coaches of the Golden Eaglets and Falconets, respectively, following the approval of recommendations from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee.
Garba, a seasoned tactician, returns to the U-17 boys’ national team, the Golden Eaglets, having previously led Nigeria to its fourth FIFA U-17 World Cup title in the United Arab Emirates in 2013. He also guided the team to qualification for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil and has served in the role on two other occasions.
The development comes on the heels of the NFF Executive Committee’s approval of the appointment of Moses Aduku as head coach of the U-20 girls’ national team, the Falconets. He replaces Coach Chris Danjuma.
Aduku, currently the head coach of Nigeria Women’s Football League side Edo Queens, brings significant experience to the role. He previously served as an assistant coach during the Falconets’ run to the quarter-finals at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
Both coaches are expected to formally assume their roles on Sunday as preparations intensify for upcoming international assignments.
The Falconets will face Rwanda in a 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier in September, while the Golden Eaglets will compete in the WAFU B U-17 Boys Tournament, which Nigeria is set to host the same month.
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.
