Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets held Burkina Faso to a 0-0 draw in their opening Group B game at the 2024 WAFU B U-17 qualifiers in Ghana on Thursday.
Coach Manu Garba opted for a 4-3-3 formation, with Dominic Chinedu in goal. The defense was comprised of Sylvester Chika, Daniel Mende, Waris Yunus, and Boluwatife Ekishola. The midfield trio included team captain Simon Cletus, Destiny Samuel, and Abdulmuiz Oladimeji, while Rapha Adam led the attack, flanked by Imrana Muhammad and Ibrahim Abdulganiyu.
The match started cautiously, with both teams struggling to create clear chances. The Golden Eaglets’ only notable opportunity in the first half came in the 24th minute when Cletus’s defense-splitting pass found Oladimeji, who missed the target.
The first half saw limited action, with neither side able to pose significant threats to the goalkeepers.
The second half began with increased intensity from the Eaglets. However, the first chance after the restart fell to Burkina Faso from a set piece on the edge of the box, but they failed to capitalize.
In the 58th minute, a promising exchange of passes saw the defending champions work their way into Burkina Faso’s area, only for Muhammad to miss the target.
Nigeria’s best chance came in the 65th minute when captain Cletus found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but dragged his shot wide. Burkina Faso nearly punished Nigeria for this miss, but Ekishola made a crucial block in the 71st minute to keep the scores level.
A minute before stoppage time, the Eaglets hit the crossbar following a defensive mix-up in the Burkinabe area, leaving the game scoreless.
The Golden Eaglets will seek their first win of the championship when they face Niger in their second game on Sunday.