The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria failed to defeat Burkina Faso in their opening match of the 2024 West African Football Union (WAFU) zone B U-17 championship.
The Manu Garba-led lads played a goalless draw against the Burkinabes at the University Stadium in Accra, Ghana, on Thursday.
Garba was appointed as the team’s handler a month before the competition.
The Eaglets, the tournament’s defending champions, did not begin camping until much later.
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The squad’s little preparation time was apparent in their match against Burkina Faso.
Nigeria’s first significant attempt came close to the half-hour mark after Simon Cletus treaded a defense-splinting pass to Abdulmuiz Oladimeji, but the attacker scuffed the finish.
After half-time, an intense downpour left the pitch soggy and almost unfit for the match, yet the game continued.
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Cletus also missed another opportunity to put Nigeria ahead in the 65th minute as Burkina Faso held on for a draw.
The Eaglets will face Niger Republic in their next game on Sunday before playing Togo in their final group match on May 22.
The top two teams from the group will face the best teams from Group A — which includes Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Benin Republic — in the semi-final.
The two countries that qualify for the final will represent the region at next year’s U-17 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
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