Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets got their WAFU-B U17 Championship campaign off to a flying start with a commanding 4-1 victory over the Baby Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Wednesday.
George Agha was the star of the show, netting a sensational hat-trick, while David Edeh added a stunning free-kick to give the five-time world champions a perfect start at the group stage of the regional tournament.
The Eaglets wasted no time in asserting their dominance. Just three minutes into the match, Boluwatife Thompson was brought down inside the box, and Agha calmly converted from the penalty spot to open the scoring.
Barely two minutes later, Edeh doubled Nigeria’s lead with a brilliant free-kick that left the Benin goalkeeper with no chance. The early blitz continued as Agha struck again in the 14th minute, finishing off a well-worked move to give Nigeria a 3-0 advantage.
Benin Republic’s Warris Soumanou made a costly error in the 32nd minute, failing to deal with a clever attacking combination between Thompson and Edeh, which allowed Agha to complete his hat-trick and make it 4-0.
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Despite Nigeria’s dominance, the Baby Cheetahs pulled one back just before halftime.
Jeremy Zannou fired a low drive past the Nigerian goalkeeper in the 45th minute to offer a consolation goal for the Beninoise side.
Under the guidance of veteran coach Manu Garba, the Golden Eaglets now sit atop their group and will look to maintain momentum as they continue their push for regional glory and qualification for the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The result sends a clear signal of intent from the Nigerian side, who are aiming to add a WAFU-B title to their impressive youth football legacy.
