Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Tunde Eludini
Published on 2024-04-12 11:50:58
The Nigeria Football Federation recently announced the reappointment of Manu Garba as the Head Coach of the Golden Eaglets, the U-17 national team. Despite a pool of qualified coaches showing interest in the position, the Federation opted to bring back Garba, who previously led the team to victory in the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. This triumph marked Nigeria’s fourth win at this level.
Garba’s 2013 squad included talented players like Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Musa Mohammed, Chidiebere Nwakali, and goalkeeper Dele Alampasu. They had a stellar performance in the tournament, finishing as runners-up at the African U17 Championship in Morocco before claiming victory in the World Cup.
During the 2013 U17 World Cup, the Golden Eaglets exhibited their prowess by defeating Mexico 6-1, drawing 3-3 with Sweden, and trouncing Iraq 5-0 in the group stage. They continued their winning streak by defeating Iran 4-1 in the Round of 16, Uruguay 2-0 in the quarter-finals, and Sweden 3-0 in the semi-finals. The team ultimately lifted the trophy after beating Mexico in the final by a margin of victory.
Following his successful tenure with the U-17 team, Garba had subsequent stints with the U-20 team and returned to coach the Golden Eaglets in 2019. However, these later ventures did not yield the same level of success as his previous achievements. Despite facing criticism and skepticism surrounding his reappointment, Garba is determined to prove his critics wrong and elevate the team’s performance.
Garba’s immediate focus is on preparing the Golden Eaglets for the upcoming WAFU B U17 Championship to be held in Ghana next month. While Nigeria boasts a successful track record in the U-17 category with five world titles, recent years have seen the country struggle to achieve similar success on both the continental and global stage.
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As the Golden Eaglets gear up for their next challenge under the leadership of Manu Garba, fans and critics alike await to see if the team can reclaim their former glory and add to Nigeria’s rich history of success in U-17 football. The upcoming tournament will serve as a litmus test for Garba and his squad as they strive to make their mark on the international stage once again.
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