Former Golden Eaglets coach Emmanuel Amuneke has backed Fatai Amoo’s side to beat Ivory Coast in the final of the WAFU B U-17 Cup Tournament in Lome, Togo on Monday (today).
Both teams will be meeting for the second time in the tournament following Nigeria’s 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast in their opening Group A game penultimate week.
A 77th minute goal by Emmanuel Papo helped the Eaglets defeat Burkina Faso on Friday in a close semi-final encounter to reach the final and consequently qualify for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which holds from March 13 to 31.
Amuneke can’t see the Junior Elephants keeping the Nigerians at bay for a second time and has predicted that Amoo’s wards will land the title.
“The Eaglets may never have a better chance of winning the WAFU B U-17 Cup,” the 1994 Africa Footballer of The Year told us.
“I believe these boys can win the tournament.
“It is also an opportunity for the coach to look at his team and know where he has to work on to make the team stronger, Amuneke added.
Edema Fuludu, a member of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad, said,” The team is good but there are some areas that coach Amoo needs to work on.
“One thing about this tournament is that the issue of winning is not exactly not the priority but the development of the boys into a strong side. So, if we win, fine and I expect that we will. But the most important of all is that the tournament is necessary for the development of the boys into big stars in the future.”
Ivory Coast secured their place in the final defeating Niger 1-0 in the semi-final courtesy of a strike from Seydou Traoré two minutes after the break.
