LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Nigeria’s U-17 national team, the Golden Eaglets, have departed for China on Thursday night to participate in the 2026 China International Youth Football Tournament, scheduled to take place in Yinchuan from July 5 to 11, Voice of Naija – VONa Communications reports.
The five-time world champions will compete alongside hosts China, Australia and Tanzania in the four-nation tournament, with all matches set to be played at the Yinchuan Sports Centre Helanshan Stadium.
The tournament is hosted by the Chinese Football Association, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Administration of Sport and the Yinchuan Municipal People’s Government.
It is organised by the Ningxia Football Association in collaboration with the Yinchuan Sports Bureau and promoted by the China Football Industry Development Corporation.
Head coach Uwejamomere Eboboritse who previously expressed his satisfaction with the current crop of Golden Eglets will lead a 20-man squad to the competition, assisted by Kalli Mohammed Kachalla and Abdullahi Isa.
“I am happy so far. A large proportion of the players have been in the U15, so we have given them the opportunity to come in for the first camp of the U17,” Eboboritse revealed in an interview with NFF.
Eboboritse also reiterated his commitment to ensure the Golden Eaglets perform well at the WAFU B U17 championship.
“Once we come back from China the full focus will be on that (WAFU B U17).
“We are planning again to open camp in late July or early August. Then we start seeing some new players including a few of the top performing U15 boys,” he revealed.
The invitational tournament forms part of the Golden Eaglets’ preparations for the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship, which serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The regional championship is scheduled to take place in September.
