The Royal Eagles train on a poor pitch before the clash against Niger

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets were forced to hold their final training session ahead of their first match in the ongoing WAFU B Under-17 Championship at a termite-infested and poorly maintained five-player field in Ouagadougou on Tuesday night.

The Nigerian team was scheduled to train at the USFA soccer field in the capital of Burkina Faso.

However, upon arriving at the venue, the delegation discovered that the owners of the facility, USFA, had scheduled a friendly match for the same time allotted for the Eaglets’ training.

As a result, Nigerian youths were ordered to use a nearby five-a-side football field next to the main facility. The alternative venue, however, had a poor playing surface that was far from ideal for a team preparing for a major international competition.

Efforts by Nigeria Under-17 team manager Paul Okwudolor to contact the championship organizers about the incident proved unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

The development left the players disappointed but the coaching staff and squad decided to put the setback behind them and focus on their first match against Niger Republic on Wednesday.

The Golden Eaglets will face Niger Republic and Ivory Coast in Group B, with their sights set on advancing to the last 16 of the competition.

The WAFU B Under-17 Championship serves as a qualifying tournament for next year’s Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, so a good start is crucial for Nigeria’s campaign.