Eaglets, Black Starlets rekindle rivalry in WAFU B U-17 final
The existing football rivalry between neighbours, Nigeria and Ghana will be rekindled this time in Niamey where their national U17 teams, the Golden Eaglets and Black Starlets are set to lock horns in the finals of the WAFU B championship.
Although they started on a shaky note by losing 1-2 to Burkina Faso in the opening match of group B, the Coach Manu Garba led Golden Eaglets bounced back in their second match to whip Cote d’I voire 5-1 to set up a grudge semi-final with host, with Niger Republic.
In the semi-final match against the Junior Menas, Eaglets triumphed 2-1 on Wednesday to book the final match with their perennial rivals, Ghana who had beaten Burkina Faso in the other semi-final match.
The semi-final victory in Niamey was sweet revenge for the Golden Eaglets who were stopped from qualifying for the Africa U-17 championship in 2017 by the same Junior Menas.
The meeting between the Eaglets and Black Starlets in today’s finals will bring back memories of the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Japan when the Fanny Amun led Eaglets beat the Starlets in the finals for their second title.
Today at the Senyi Koutnche stadium Niamey, it is a winner takes all contest as the winners of the contest will automatically qualify for the Africa U17 championship in Tanzania.
The Golden Eaglets are the most successful team in this age grade competition in world with five titles won in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015..
The Eaglets also hold two AFCON titles in 2001 and 2007.
They however failed to qualify for five AFCON editions in 1997, 2009, 2011 and 2017.
Therefore victory in today’s final against the Black Starlets will bring their AFCON titles to three.
Already an NFF Executive Committee member and chairman of NFF technical committee, Ahmed Fresh Yusuf is said to have boosted the morale of the players after he redeemed the N1m pledge he made for them to beat Niger Republic in the semi-finals.
It is said he is dangling another N2m before the Akinwunmi Amoo inspired Eaglets for them to win the final match.