Nigeria’s U-17 side held their final session before the WAFU B opener on a poor five-a-side pitch after their planned venue was handed to a friendly match.
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Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets had to hold their final training session before the WAFU B U-17 Championship on a poorly kept, termite-infested five-a-side pitch in Ouagadougou on Tuesday evening. The team opens its Group B campaign against Niger Republic on Wednesday.
The squad had been booked into the USFA football pitch in the Burkinabe capital. As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, the delegation arrived to find that the owners had scheduled a friendly match for the same slot.
The Nigerians were sent to a five-a-side pitch beside the main facility. The surface was substandard, and far from ideal for a team preparing for a major international tournament.
Team manager Paul Okwudolor tried to reach the championship organisers about the incident. He had not made contact by the time the report was filed.
A Setback To Shake Off
The players were disappointed, but the technical crew and the squad have decided to leave the episode behind. All their attention is on Wednesday’s opener.
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What Awaits In Group B
Nigeria share Group B with Niger Republic and Côte d’Ivoire. The Eaglets meet Niger on Wednesday and Côte d’Ivoire on Friday.
Niger have already shown they won’t be pushovers. They held defending champions Côte d’Ivoire to a 1-1 draw in Sunday’s group opener at the Stade du 4-Août in Ouagadougou. A side that takes a point off the champions will not arrive in a respectful mood.
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Why The Result Matters
The tournament doubles as the qualifier for next year’s U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, so a strong start counts. Only two places are on offer from the zone, and the competition runs until October 17.
Visiting teams at a regional qualifier should expect a proper training surface. The organisers had not responded to Nigeria’s complaint when the report was filed.
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For the Eaglets, the pitch is now in the past. Niger on Wednesday is the only thing that matters.
📌 Did You Know?
- The Golden Eaglets have won the FIFA U-17 World Cup five times, more than any other nation.
- Seven countries are in the tournament. Hosts Burkina Faso sit in Group A with Benin, Ghana and Togo.
- Head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere named a 25 man squad for the trip to Ouagadougou.
- Before travelling, the team camped in Abuja and beat Simonben Academy 4-0 at the FIFA Goal Project pitch inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium. A second friendly the same day, against Galadima FC, ended goalless.
- Every player had to pass mandatory MRI age-verification screening before the tournament.
- Niger lost 0-2 to Côte d’Ivoire in their opener at last year’s edition in Yamoussoukro and went out in the group stage.
