The Golden Eaglets suffered their second consecutive defeat at the four-nation invitational tournament in China after falling 4-2 to Australia in an entertaining encounter in the early hours of Wednesday.
Under coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere, the team is undergoing a rebuilding process after missing out on two consecutive editions of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
However, the five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions remain rooted to the bottom of the standings, having conceded seven goals and scored four in their opening two matches of the competition.
Uwejamomere’s side opened their campaign with a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Tanzania and were hoping to bounce back against the Australians. However, defensive lapses once again proved costly as the Joeys capitalised on several opportunities to secure a deserved victory.
The result means Nigeria have now conceded seven goals in just two matches, a worrying statistic for a side traditionally renowned for its attacking flair and successful youth development system.
Despite their difficult start to the tournament, the Golden Eaglets still have an opportunity to finish their campaign on a positive note when they face hosts China on Saturday.
The match will provide the Nigerian youngsters with another valuable opportunity to gain international experience and test themselves against quality opposition.
The tournament is serving as part of the Golden Eaglets’ preparations for this year’s WAFU B U-17 Championship, which will act as the qualifying tournament for next year’s U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and is scheduled to take place in September.
Source: Abiodun Adewale, Punch Newspaper
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