Manu Garba Confirms Submission Of 51 Names For 2024 WAFU B Under-17 Tourney

Manu Garba, the newly appointed head coach of the Nigeria Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, has confirmed the invitation of 51 players in preparation for the 2024 WAFU B Under-17 tournament in Ghana.

Manu Garba was appointed the Golden Eaglets’ coach barely a month before the youth tournament. Yet, he has to select his team from a pool of 51 players at a training camp in Abuja.

Note that the 2024 WAFU B U-17 tournament will commence in Accra on May 15 and end on May 29, 2024, and the final squad list for the participating countries is expected to be submitted, at most, a week before the tournament.

In an interview with Totori News, Manu Garba said the 51 invited players are expected to report to camp on April 17.

The 58-year-old Nigerian tactician said he scouted most of the 51 players he invited to the camp.

“I have just submitted the list of 51 players that will open camp hopefully on Wednesday (today),” coach Garba said.

“I have scouted most of those players, and some lists were given to me by some stakeholders. But I believe in the majority of the players I have scouted on my own, I have mandated them to have their MRI scan before they come to camp.

He added, “Despite the short period to the WAFU tournament, I am very optimistic that we will raise a good team that will qualify for the AFCON because that is our primary assignment for now.

“We have a short time to scout for players. They might not be the players that will play all through the AFCON and the World Cup. As we play friendly matches, there is the likelihood that we might see better players than we have in camp. We will tell such players to go for their MRI scan and fight for places.

“I’ve done that several times with the likes of Taiwo Awoniyi and co, who were not part of the screening, and look at what Taiwo is now playing for one of the EPL clubs, Nottingham Forest.”

Note that Manu Garba was the assistant coach of the Under-17 team when late coach Yemi Tella won the 2007 Under-17 World Cup for Nigeria in South Korea and was also in charge of the team when they won their fourth World title in 2013.