Sports

WAFU B U-17 Tournament: Golden Eaglets Depart For Cape Coast

Five–time world champions Nigeria will set out on course for another title on Wednesday when they depart the country for the Ghanaian city of Cape Coast, where they will participate in the Seven-Nation WAFU B U-17 Championship that begins on Saturday.

The two finalists from the tournament in Cape Coast will represent the WAFU B zone at the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations billed for Algeria early next year, from where all four semi finalists will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals in Peru.

Nigeria, with five world titles in the kitty, and three –time world champions and hosts Ghana will set the tournament rolling on Saturday with a potentially –explosive encounter at the Stade Cape Coast starting from 4pm Ghana time (5pm Nigeria time).

Coach Nduka Ugbade, who has kept his eyes on the ball and his hands on the plough for several weeks screening and training the lads at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja, says his objective is to earn a ticket to the AFCON finals in Algeria.

“I am happy with the squad that we have been able to come up with, and I can say confidently that we are going to Ghana to do the nation proud. Our primary objective is to earn a ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations, and then we go full throttle for the trophy. Nigeria have a pedigree in U17 football and we cannot afford to disappoint.

Ugbade, who captained the squad that won the first of Nigeria’s five world titles at this level, has picked 20 players for the campaign that will last until 24th June, with five more players on standby.

The Golden Eaglets are in Group A of the competition, with a second match against Togo’s U-17 boys on Tuesday next week, also at the Stade Cape Coast.

GOLDEN EAGLETS FOR WAFU B U17 CHAMPIONSHIP IN CAPE COAST

Goalkeepers: Richard Odoh, Hameed Balogun, Pascal Uzoho

Defenders: Jeremiah Olaleke, Emmanuel Michael, Tochukwu Ogboji, Yahaya Lawal, Miracle Ogwor

Midfielders: Basil Mbata, Ebube Okere, Tochukwu Ogbabido, Richard Uche, Ozor Okeke, Raphael Oyebanjo

Forwards: Umar Abubakar, Kevwe Iyede, Light Eke, Abubakar Abdullahi, Jubril Azeez, Precious Williams

Standby: Utibe Silas, Abdullahi Buhari, Abubakar Shaibu, Tijjani Mohammed, Stephen Emmanuel.

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.