Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets head coach, Eboboritse Uwejamomere, says his team are confident of beating Niger as they begin their campaign at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Wednesday.
The Nigerian youngsters will face Niger in their opening Group B match of the qualifying tournament in Burkina Faso, with a victory potentially securing their place in the semi-finals.
Niger and defending champions Cote d’Ivoire played a 1-1 draw in the group’s opening fixture, leaving Nigeria with an opportunity to move to the top of the standings with a win.
Uwejamomere, however, warned his players against underestimating their opponents despite their confidence ahead of the encounter.
“We are very, very confident because we’re Nigeria,” declared coach Ebobo.
“But we’re not overconfident because we have to respect our opponents because they will give us a very tough battle.
“The advantage is with us because we have seen both teams play but this could be a disadvantage as well if we failed to get a result.
“A win for us will already get us into the semifinal.”
The Golden Eaglets coach believes watching Niger and Cote d’Ivoire in action gives his side useful insight into their opponents, although he acknowledged that the knowledge would count for little if Nigeria failed to secure a positive result.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 5pm Nigerian time on Wednesday.
