Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have endured another disappointing outing at the 2026 China International Youth Football Tournament, falling to a 4-2 defeat against Australia U-17 to make it two losses from two matches in the four-nation competition.
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The defeat comes just days after the seven-time African champions opened their campaign with a loss to Tanzania, leaving coach Uwejamomere Eboboritse’s side still searching for their first points of the tournament.
The invitational tournament in Yinchuan, China, is serving as an important preparation competition for Nigeria ahead of the WAFU B U-17 Championship later this year, which doubles as the qualifying tournament for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Against Australia, the Golden Eaglets struggled defensively and found themselves chasing the game for long spells as the young Socceroos capitalised on their chances to secure an impressive victory.
Despite managing to score twice, Nigeria was unable to mount a comeback as Australia claimed all three points with a clinical attacking display.
The tournament has provided the coaching crew with an opportunity to assess the squad against quality international opposition, with several players making their first appearances in Nigeria colours.
The Golden Eaglets will now shift their attention to their final fixture against hosts China on Saturday, where they will be aiming to end the tournament on a positive note before returning home to continue preparations for the upcoming WAFU B U-17 Championship.
