By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigeria’s U17 boys, the Golden Eaglets, will on Wednesday depart for Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, to take part in this year’s WAFU-B U17 Boys’ Tournament.
The trip follows an intensive preparation programme that saw the five-time world champions play 13 friendly matches during camp. In that period, the Eaglets recorded 10 victories, two draws, and one defeat, scoring 25 goals and conceding only five. Their final test game ended in a goalless draw against Mop Stars FC on Monday.
Led by their technical crew, the team will open their Group B campaign on Wednesday, September 24, against the Baby Cheetahs of Benin Republic, before locking horns with Burkina Faso in their second group encounter.
Group A features hosts Côte d’Ivoire, alongside Niger Republic, Ghana, and Togo, setting up what promises to be a fiercely contested regional showdown.
All matches will be played at the Stade du Lycée Scientifique in Yamoussoukro, a venue equipped with a natural grass pitch and purpose-built for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. The stadium is expected to provide a top-class playing surface for the tournament’s emerging stars.
The Golden Eaglets, Africa’s most successful U17 side, are aiming to extend their dominance in youth football and book a place at the continental finals as part of the pathway to the next FIFA U17 World Cup.
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.
