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FLASHBACK: AT LAST, GOLDEN EAGLETS RECORD FIRST DEFEAT

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

At its infancy, the Nigerian U-17 football team (previously U-16) appeared an invincible side. The team waxed so strong that out of the blues, it became the inaugural winner of the then FIFA Under 16 World Tournament (now FIFA U-17 World Cup) in China in 19885.

In accomplishing the task, the Golden Eaglets became the first team outside Europe and South America to win a global football tournament.

In qualifying for the tournament in China, Nigeria had just one opposition, Togo as only 10 entries were from Africa. Nigeria won the first leg 1-0 and drew 11-1 away.

The Nigerian team was unbeaten in the six matches in China to make it a eight-match unbeaten run.

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Entries increased from 10 to 16 in the second edition in Africa, but as it was two years earlier many withdrew leading to Nigeria having just Ghana to face in a two-legged encounter.  Nigeria drew 1-1 in Accra and goalless in Legos to advance on away-goal rule and stretching their unbeaten run to 10 matches.

But on this date, 9 May 1987 the Nigeria Under -16 football team (lost a match for the first time.

Having picked the ticket along with Cote d’Ivoire and Egypt, a friendly match was arraigned for the team at the then Liberty Stadium, Ibadan.

The Golden Eaglets were beaten 2-1 by fellow World Cup qualifiers, Cote d’Ivoire. Both Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire finished second and third respectively at the final world tournament in Canada.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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