Why we drew Burkina Faso in WAFU B U-17 opener – Golden Eaglet boss Manu Garba explains

Golden Eaglets coach Manu Garba has blamed inadequate preparation for their goalless draw against Burkina Faso in their first game of the 2024 WAFU Zone B Championship, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nigeria played their opening game of the WAFU Zone B fixture against Burkina Faso at the University of Ghana Stadium on Thursday.

Because of the kind of talent that Nigeria always produces, Nigeria were expected to beat Burkina Faso and begin their defense of the competition on a good note.

However, the Golden Eaglets failed to do so. The players evidently had the talent, but they lacked chemistry especially in the final third. In the end, they had to settle for a goalless draw.

After the game, coach Garba expressed disappointment over the result, but he feels that if the team had prepared better, they could have gotten something from the game.

Recall that the Golden Eaglets played about ten friendly games against different academies in Nigeria before the tournament. However, Garba believes that they were at a disadvantage because the team was not exposed to playing teams abroad.

“Though we came out to get the three maximum points, but like I said earlier, this is the first international match for these young lads,” Garba said.

“Teams like Ghana and Burkina Faso have gone out for European tour. But for us, it was just our first international game. So, I’m happy that the team will get better as the competition progresses.”

Next up for the Golden Eaglets is a game against Niger Republic on Sunday. And they will be looking to bounce back and get their Championship dreams back on track.