2024 WAFU B U17 Championship: Manu Garba's ex-assistant Haruna backs Golden Eaglets to perform

Former assistant coach Nigeria National U17 team, the Golden Eaglets, coach Bunmi Haruna has backed coach Manu Garba to qualify Nigeria for the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025.

Manu Garba and the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria are in Ghana for the WAFU B U17 Championship which kicks off today in Accra 

Manu's team have spent barely four weeks in preparation camp in Abuja and the short time have prompted many football fans to doubt their credentials and ability to defend the title they won two years ago.

But, Bunmi who has won the WAFU-B U17 title twice, as assistant to Manu Garba in 2018 and Nduka Ugbade in 2022, believes Manu has the experience to see this one through.

"Coach Manu is very experienced at this level and I consider him one of the best youth coaches in the world," Haruna said. 

"I have followed their preparations and the team have played better than the last time, each time I watched them again.

"The MRI is usually an issue at this level, but when you have the experience of coach Manu, you can be assured he knows how to get the right players.

"Yes, there is no enough time, but I think the team will be good enough to pick at least an AFCON U17 ticket."

Bunmi who is also the head coach of Abuja based team, Family Worship Champions, FWC FC, however urged the NFF to equip the Golden Eaglets with at least a match analyst to help make the job of coach Manu easier.

The 2024 WAFU B U17 Championship is scheduled to take place in Accra Ghana from the 15th to the 28th of May.

Nigeria will start their title defense against Burkina Faso then take on Niger Republic and Togo in their bid to qualify for the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Morocco.

The Golden Eaglets will need to reach the final to be one of the two teams to qualify for the AFCON from the WAFU-B Zone.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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