Golden Eaglets head coach Manu Garba is determined to leave no margin for error as Nigeria prepares to face Togo on Wednesday in their third Group B match of the WAFU Zone B U-17 Cup of Nations in Ghana.
The five-time world champions had a rocky start to their campaign with a 0-0 draw against Burkina Faso at the University of Ghana on Thursday.
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However, they boosted their title defense with a crucial 1-0 victory over Niger Republic on Sunday, thanks to Raphael Adams’ decisive 31st-minute goal.
Currently, Nigeria is second in the group with four points, equal to Burkina Faso, who are ahead due to a superior goal difference.
Garba is focused on finishing at the top of the group and has emphasized the importance of their upcoming match against Togo.
“The Golden Eaglets will have to beat Togo on Wednesday. The Togo U-17 team is good, and Nigeria will not underrate them,” Garba stated.
“We have trained the players on goal-scoring drills. Nigeria should have scored three goals against Niger. So, we hope that the players will convert more of their chances against Togo.”
Niger is in third place with three points from their 3-2 win over Togo, who are at the bottom of the table but remain a formidable opponent despite their errors.
The tournament, running from May 15 to 29, will see the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the best teams from Group A, which includes Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin Republic.
The two finalists will represent the region at next year’s U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, making the stakes even higher for Garba and his team as they aim for victory and a place in the continental competition
