U-17 Tourney: Garba Targets W/Cup Ticket

Nigeria coach Manu Garba has declared that his team is aiming to win the 2013 CAF U-17 Championship holding in Morocco from 13-27 April and qualify for the FIFA world Cup holding in UAE in October.

The Golden Eaglets have been drawn against two West African giants Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire as well as 2011 second runner-up Congo-Brazzaville.

Speaking this morning in a radio programme monitored in Lagos, Garba said the target of the Eaglets would be first and foremost to qualify for the semi-finals from the group in order to book a ticket for the World Cup and thereafter go for the trophy.

“Though we have been drawn in an interesting group but it is my target to qualify for the world cup and also go to the world tourney as African champions. So our determination is to win the trophy in Morocco.”

Ghana top the U-17 Championship all-time record after being crowned champions in 1995 and 1999. The Black Starlets were also runner-up in 2005 and twice second runner-up in 1997 and 2007

Nigeria, on the other hand, are second in the all-time championship record following Golden Eaglets’ successes  in 2001 and 2007 as well as being runners-up and second runner-up in 1995 and 2003, respectively.

However, the Nigerian Golden Eaglets boasted the best qualification record by winning all their  six matches.

—Bamidele Olowosagba