The head coach of the Golden Eaglets, Nduka Ugbade, was able to gather a tenacious group of players who have contributed in different ways to the Nigerian team’s accumulation of 6 points in their Group games.
The Nigerian Golden Eaglets are slated to play Burkina Faso in the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals on Thursday after these performances.
Players like Favour Daniel, Light Eke, and several more players have made strides in the past three games of the biennial international youth tournament’s 14th edition.
The two-time AFCON winners will thus be facing their West African rivals, and Soccernet.ng will be spotlighting some vital players to look out for.
Yahaya Lawali
The defender for the Golden Eaglets has become an important member of Nigeria’s back four, operating from the wing-back position to attack. He was unable to score, but he did create opportunities and wreak havoc on the defence of the opposition, earning him two Man of the Match awards.
He is one of the players the Nigerian team will be depending on to keep up their outstanding performance when they battle against Burkina Faso.
Emmanuel Michael
Michael is doing the same on the left as Lawali is on the right side of the defensive. He is another player Ugbade’s team can rely on to defeat Burkina Faso thanks to his skill at taking free kicks and assists from the previous match.
Owoyemi Ajibola
The Tripple 44 academy youngster has been controlling the Golden Eaglets’ midfield with his interceptions and successful passes. He will be one of the players who Nigerians will depend on to strengthen the midfield against Burkina Faso, along with all the other players.
Favour Daniel
Daniel did not feature in Nigeria’s narrow victory against South Africa, but he did score the team’s lone goal against Zambia for Ugbade’s boys. Despite trying once again against Morocco, he was unable to lead his squad to victory.
In order to lead the team to victory against Burkina Faso tomorrow, he will, however, be hoping to rejoin the squad starting eleven.
Light Eke
Eke was outstanding against South Africa on Saturday, and he was able to make up for missing the team’s first tournament penalty with a goal in the game’s 46th minute.
He is one of the players to rely on against Burkina Faso owing to his confidence on the ball and keen strike detection.
