AFCON 2025
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets suffered a 4-2 defeat to Australia in their second match of the Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in China on Wednesday, extending their winless start to the competition.
The Golden Eaglets, coached by Uwejamomere Eboboritse, were hoping to bounce back after their opening 3-2 defeat to Tanzania but were once again undone by defensive lapses against a clinical Australian side.
Australia capitalised on Nigeria’s mistakes throughout the contest, punishing defensive errors despite the Golden Eaglets showing flashes of quality in attack and creating several scoring opportunities.
The latest result means the five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions have now lost both of their opening matches, conceding seven goals while scoring four. The defensive frailties exposed in the opening two fixtures will be a major concern for the coaching staff as they continue preparations for upcoming competitive assignments.
Nigeria will round off their campaign at the Four-Nation Invitational Tournament against hosts China on Saturday, with the match providing another opportunity to fine-tune the squad ahead of the WAFU B U-17 Championship in September.
The tournament in China is part of the Golden Eaglets’ preparations for the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, where they will aim to secure a place at the continental championship and ultimately qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
