Five-time world champions Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets continued their preparations for the WAFU-B U17 Championship with a 4-0 victory over Simonben Academy before drawing 0-0 with Galadima FC in two friendly matches in Abuja on Saturday.
The Golden Eaglets produced an emphatic second-half performance against Simonben Academy at the FIFA Goal Project pitch inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium.
The match was closely contested during the opening 45 minutes, although Nigeria created enough opportunities to have gone into half-time with more than one goal. They eventually took a narrow lead into the interval.
Simonben Academy, who travelled from Kaduna, were unable to maintain their resistance after the break. The side coached by Eboboritse Uwejamomere added three further goals in the second half to complete a 4-0 win.
The result provided Nigeria with a positive start to their double-header, as the team continued its build-up for this year’s regional Under-17 competition.
Later on Saturday, the Golden Eaglets returned to the same venue to face Galadima FC of Abuja in another practice match.
That contest proved considerably more difficult for the Nigerian side. Despite their efforts to break down Galadima FC, the Eaglets were unable to find a way through a disciplined opponent, with the game ending goalless.
The two matches formed part of Nigeria’s preparations for the WAFU-B U17 Championship, which is scheduled to take place in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, from 4 to 17 October this year.
Nigeria’s five world titles underline the pedigree of the Golden Eaglets at international youth level, but their immediate focus is on completing preparations for the regional tournament in Burkina Faso.
The win against Simonben Academy offered attacking encouragement, particularly after the team scored three times in the second half. The stalemate against Galadima FC, meanwhile, highlighted the challenge of facing opponents capable of restricting the Eaglets in the final third.
Both fixtures were played at the FIFA Goal Project pitch inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, giving Coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere an opportunity to assess his squad against two Abuja-based or visiting academy sides before the championship begins.
The WAFU-B U17 Championship will run for two weeks in Ouagadougou, with the competition scheduled to conclude on 17 October.