Golden Eaglets Begin Record 10th U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Campaign

Golden Eaglets Begin Record 10th U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Campaign
Nigeria fans at the U17 AFCON

The 15th edition of the African U17 Championship is underway in Algeria, as 12 countries split into three groups, battle for the ultimate prize. The first edition of this competition was staged in Mali in 1995, with Ghana defeating the Nigeria Golden Eaglets 3-1 after extra time. Cameron won the last edition of the AFCON U17 in 2019, beating Guinea on penalties to lift the title.

Nigeria U17 vs Zambia U17 Preview

The Nigeria U17 team, called the Golden Eaglets, will go head-to-head against Morocco, South Africa, and Zambia in Group B of the 2023 U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Algeria.

The Golden Eaglets will begin their campaign on Sunday at 5 PM BST, which, for now, is the same local time in Nigeria. They will play against the Zambian U17 side at the Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine. This venue will host all Golden Eaglets' Group B matches as they look forward to bringing home another AFCON U17 title.

It will be the second time both countries have met in this competition. The Nigeria U17 side beat Zambia U17 3-1 in this competition in 2015. The now-Napoli and Nigeria Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Nwakali, who currently plays for Ponferradina, Spain, and Pumulo Siwanga, scored for Nigeria. Patson Daka, who plays for Leicester City in the English Premier League, got the consolation goal for Zambia.

The Golden Eaglets qualified for the tournament after winning the U17 WAFU B Championship staged in Cote D’Ivoire in 2022. They emerged 2-1 winners over Burkina Faso in a pulsating final. On the other hand, the Zambia U17 team are coming into this competition after winning the CAF COSAFA U17 Cup final 1-0 against the South Africa U17 side in December 2022. Both teams will be eager to start the competition on a good note.

How many times have the Golden Eaglets won the CAF U17 AFCON?

The Golden Eaglets won their first U17 Championship in Seychelles in 2001. They played Burkina Faso in the finals, which ended 3-0 in their favour. They lifted their second title in 2007 by defeating the host nation, Togo, in the finals 1-0 after extra time. Since then, the closest Nigeria's U17 national team has come in the competition was losing to Ivory Coast on penalties in the 2013 U17 Championship finals, which was heartbreaking for them.

How many times has Zambia won the CAF U17 AFCON?

The Zambian U17 side has not won this competition before, but they will fancy their chances of making history in Algeria.

Key facts about CAF U17 AFCON

Below are some key points to note about the CAF U17 AFCON:

  • The host country Algeria has not won this competition before.
  • Five countries have won this competition twice.
  • Only once has a host country won this competition (Gambia in 2005).
  • The 14th edition, which was to be hosted in Morocco in 2021, was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • The top four teams from the 2023 U17 AFCON will represent Africa at the 2023 FIFA U17 World Cup in Peru, which begins from 10th November to 2nd December later this year.

Where can fans watch the game?

At the time of writing, there is no broadcast data for fans in Nigeria. But fans in Algeria can view the game on beIN Sports Premium 3.

This article was most recently revised and updated 2 years ago

Chandan is a passionate writer, editor, and marketer with a love for football. He has bylines in leading online publications and has worked with renowned sports brands like The Olympics, Fox Sports Asia, and the Indian Super League (ISL). As for the unimpressive part, he loves Chelsea.