GOLDEN EAGLETS head coach Nduka Ugbade has promised that he and his technical crew will raise a squad capable of doing Nigeria proud at the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria.
The U-17 AFCON will take place from April 29 to May 19 this year, with five-time world champions Nigeria drawn alongside Morocco, South Africa and Zambia Group B based in Constantine.
Ugbade, who was an assistant coach when the Golden Eaglets won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2013, led his team to qualify for the continental competition after winning the WAFU B Championship in Ghana last year.
“We know that some work still has to be done within the next few weeks to put the team in great form,” Ugbade, who captained the Golden Eaglets to win the first-ever U-17 World Cup in China in 1985, told the Nigeria Football Federation media team.
“I am happy with the level of work we have done and the kind of playing personnel at our disposal.
“I believe everything will come together beautifully and we will have a team that will do the country proud at the tournament.”
A fortnight ago, the Golden Eaglets returned to camp in Abuja for the final phase of their preparations for the U-17 AFCON.
Three days ago, they defeated Mahanaim FC 4-2 in a friendly match at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project within the Moshood Abiola National Stadium complex in Abuja.
The NFF says the Eaglets will have a final camping programme in Europe before flying to Algeria for the continental finals, where the four top teams will qualify to represent Africa at this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru.
Nigeria have had rough times in football in recent weeks, with the Super Eagles losing an AFCON qualifier at home to lowly Guinea-Bissau and the Olympic Eagles crashing out of the U-23 AFCON and Olympic qualifiers to Guinea.
