U17 AFCON: Nigeria Play Burkina Faso For a Place in the Semi-Finals

The Nigeria national U17 team, aka the Golden Eaglets, play the Burkina Faso national U17 side on Thursday evening for a place in the semi-finals of the ongoing CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Algeria.

Nigeria reached the last eight after defeating South Africa in their latest group match on Saturday. They came from behind twice to emerge 3-2 victors against the Amajimbos.

On the other hand, Burkina Faso advanced to the last eight of the 2023 Africa U17 Cup of Nations on Sunday after coming from behind to beat the defending champions Cameroon, 2-1.

In a repeat of the WAFU-U17 Qualifying Round Zone B finals, Burkina Faso will go head-to-head with the Golden Eaglets in Thursday's quarter-final showdown at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Algiers.

The two teams know that the winner of this fixture will be guaranteed a place in the 2023 FIFA U17 World Cup and a chance to be in the semi-finals of the ongoing competition.

Nigeria vs Burkina Faso U17 AFCON Preview

Nigeria

The Nigeria Golden Eaglets will aim to win their 3rd AFCON U17 and end their 16 years wait for the title. Three games is all that lies between them and the cup. The Eaglets prepare to face Burkina Faso, a side they defeated 2-1 last June.

The coach of the team, Nduka Ugbade, mentioned that the Golden Eaglets’ 3-2 win over South Africa in their last Group B match gave them the confidence to go all the way at the tournament. He fired warning shots at Burkina Faso ahead of the game at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Algiers.

Speaking to CAFonline after the win over South Africa, he said: “These boys have now picked up the confidence they needed following the defeat by Morocco, and they are now looking forward to going all the way here”.

He continued, “This victory has restored the boys' confidence. We needed such a win going into the knockout rounds, and it is our belief that we can handle the pressure there”.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso will look to avenge their 2-1 loss to the Eaglets last year, although they know it won't be easy.

Speaking to CAFonline after their difficult 2-1 win against Cameroon, the head coach of the Stallions, Ibrahima Traore, said: “We had two objectives in this tournament; first to get to the semi-finals and then to fight for the title. We will prepare well for Nigeria to enable us to get to the semis and earn the World Cup ticket.”

Nigeria vs Burkina Head-to-Head Record

Ahead of this showpiece, both teams have met three times, with Nigeria U17 winning twice and Burkina Faso U17 winning once. We'll wait and see who comes out on top in their fourth meeting scheduled for Thursday night.