Abuja, Nigeria – (African Boulevard News) – Nigeria’s U-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations by Burkina Faso. Despite the loss, the team’s coach, Nduka Ugbade, showed grace in defeat as he praised his players for their effort.
Ugbade, who was part of the historic 1985 Golden Eaglets, the first Nigerian team to win the FIFA U-16 World Cup, said his players gave everything they had and could not be faulted for their performance.
In a post-match press conference, Ugbade stated: “The boys played their hearts out and gave it their all. I cannot fault them for their effort. We had our chances, but we didn’t take them. That’s football.”
The Golden Eaglets had a good start in the tournament, with a 1-0 win over Tanzania, a 4-2 win against Algeria, and a goalless draw against Congo. However, they could not replicate their group stage performance in their quarterfinal match against Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso scored the opener in the 43rd minute of the game before Nigeria equalized in the 52nd minute through Aluko Abdulrasheed. However, Burkina Faso got the winner in the 84th minute.
Despite the defeat, Ugbade remains optimistic about the future of Nigerian football, stating: “We will go back home and work on the areas that we need to improve. This is a learning experience for these boys, and they will come back stronger. We have a bright future ahead.”
The TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations is an important tournament for African football, as it provides a platform for young talents to showcase their skills, and for the national teams to identify raw talents for future competitions.
The tournament, which started on March 13, 2023, will end on April 2, 2023. The winner of the tournament will represent Africa at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru.
With Nigeria out of the tournament, Burkina Faso will face Cameroon in the semifinals, while Egypt will play Ivory Coast in the other semifinal match.
In conclusion, despite the loss, Nigeria’s U-17 team showed great potential throughout the tournament, and the experience gained will be useful for their future development. The team’s coach, Nduka Ugbade, demonstrated excellent sportsmanship in defeat, which is a great example to players and fans alike. The TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations continues to be an exciting platform for young African talents to showcase their skills and progress in their football careers.
