Five–time world champions, Nigeria, will begin its journey for another title today when they depart the country for the Ghanaian city of Cape Coast, where they will participate in the seven-nation WAFU B U17 Championship that begins on Saturday.
 
The two finalists from the tournament in Cape Coast will represent the WAFU B zone at the Africa U17 Cup of Nations billed for Algeria early next year. All four semifinalists in Algeria will qualify for the FIFA U17 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 4.00 p.m. Ghana time (5.00 p.m. 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,” he said.
 
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 June 24, with five more players on standby.
 
The Golden Eaglets are in Group A of the competition, with a second match against Togo’s U17 boys on Tuesday next week, also at the Stade Cape Coast.

In the Golden Eaglets squad are goalkeepers Richard Odoh, Hameed Balogun and Pascal Uzoho. The defenders are Jeremiah Olaleke, Emmanuel Michael, Tochukwu Ogboji, Yahaya Lawal and Miracle Ogwor, while the midfielders are Basil Mbata, Ebube Okere, Tochukwu Ogbabido, Richard Uche, Ozor Okeke and Raphael Oyebanjo.
 
The forwards are Umar Abubakar, Kevwe Iyede, Light Eke, Abubakar Abdullahi, Jubril Azeez and Precious Williams, while Utibe Silas, Abdullahi Buhari, Abubakar Shaibu, Tijjani Mohammed and Stephen Emmanuel are on standby.