Golden Eaglets of Nigeria
Nigeria's Golden Eaglets are once again facing a race against time to assemble a team capable of successfully defending their title in the WAFU B U17 championship.
This urgency arises as over half of the first-choice players have failed the mandatory MRI age test, leaving the team in a precarious situation. The deadline for submitting the final squad list to the organizers is rapidly approaching, with only until Monday to do so.
The situation has been described as a complete disaster by a top official, who expressed disappointment in the delayed start of the training camp, which contributed to the majority of the first-choice players being disqualified.
Coach Manu Garba, who was reappointed to his former position late, now faces even greater pressure to assemble a team that can secure qualification for the U17 AFCON tournament through the WAFU B qualifying series in Ghana starting from May 15.
Nigeria, a five-time world champion, finds itself in Group B alongside Burkina Faso, Togo, and Niger Republic.
It is worth noting that two years ago, under the leadership of Nduka Ugbade, the country triumphed in the sub-regional tournament but failed to qualify for the U17 World Cup.