Nigeria’s new look under-17 national team, Golden Eaglets’ flight to China on Thursday night is bound to revive memories of how the country’s pioneer teenagers’ squad won the maiden Cadet World Cup in the same country.
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Sports247 reports that the Eaglets’ current squad is set to participate at an invitational competition in China almost 41 years after the first squad captained by Nduka Ugbade won the then FIFA U16 World Cup in August 1985.
A press release by the communications department of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) revealed that the Eaglets are scheduled to take part in a four-nation competition as part of their build-up to the impending West African Football Union (WAFU)-B U17 Championship.
The upcoming sub-regional competition will serve as qualifiers for the African U-17 Cup of Nations and ultimately the next Cadet Mundial, which Nigeria won in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
However, Nigeria did not qualify for the last two editions of the FIFA U17 World Cup, despite being the overall record holders with five conquests of the teenagers’ global football fiesta, starting with the under-16 version at China ’85.
Officials of the NFF will now aim to benefit from the team’s symbolic return to China 41 years affter as a source of motivation and inspiration for the new set of players, who will be boosted with stories about the heroics of Ugbade and his teammates at China ’85.
The NFF’s media statement added, “Five-time world champions, Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will depart the shores of the country on Thursday night for China, to participate in the four-nation China International Youth Football Tournament taking place in Yinchuan, 5th-11th July 2026.
“While the Chinese Football Association, Ningxia Hul Autonomous Region Administration of Sport and Yinchuan Municipal People’s Government are the hosts, the competition is organized by Ningxia Football Association in conjunction with the Yinchuan Sports Bureau, and promoted by the China Football Industry Development Corporation.
“The team of 20 players is led by Coach Uwejamomere Eboboritse, alongside his assistants Kalli Mohammed Kachalla and Abdullahi Isa. Hosts China, Australia and Tanzania are the other participating teams, with matches scheduled for the Yinchaun Sports Centre Helanshan Stadium.”
