After an entertaining comeback over an equally talented South African team at the weekend, the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria are poised to set up a quarter-final duel with Burkina Faso at the 2023 African U-17 Cup of Nations on Thursday.
The Nigerian boys, who have been one of the most interesting teams to watch at the tournament so far, will be put to a stern test when they face the Young Stallions, who are similarly good in posting comeback victories.
While the Eaglets sealed qualification for the knockouts with a spirited 3-2 turnaround over South Africa on Saturday, Burkina Faso also secured a ticket the following day with a 2-1 win over Cameroon, with a late Souleymane Alio quick-fire brace.
Both teams will square off at the Stade Nelson Mandela in what will be a purely West African affair, and Nduka Ugbade’s boys will be eager to see off the tie as a place in the semi-finals, and most importantly, a World Cup ticket will be on the line.
Head to Head
Nigeria U-17 have played against their counterparts from Burkina Faso three times in the past, with the Eaglets having the superior record of two wins to one.
Interestingly, both sides faced off just last year at the final of the WAFU B U-17 tournament, with the Eaglets claiming a 2-1 victory for the title.
Date, Time, and Venue of the match
May 11th, 2023
8:00pm (West African Time)
Stade Nelson Mandela, Algiers, Algeria.
