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Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets stormed into the WAFU B U17 Championship with a ruthless 4-1 win over Benin Republic, thanks to a blistering first-half hat-trick from George Agha, Footynaija.com reports.
At the Stade du Lycée Scientifique in Yamoussoukro, Manu Garba’s side wasted no time stamping their authority.
Agha opened the scoring from the penalty spot inside four minutes after winger Boluwatife Thompson was brought down. Captain David Edeh doubled the lead three minutes later with a spectacular free-kick that left Benin’s keeper stranded.
Nigeria’s pressure was relentless. In the 14th minute, Agha struck again, calmly finishing a sweeping move to make it 3-0. The teenage forward then completed his treble on 31 minutes, capitalising on a defensive lapse to record the tournament’s first hat-trick.
Benin, already needing a win after losing to Burkina Faso in their opener, were overwhelmed. Their only bright moment came on the stroke of half-time when skipper Jeremy Zannou pulled one back with a well-taken finish.
With a three-goal cushion, the Eaglets controlled the second half with maturity, making tactical substitutions and keeping Benin at bay. The victory all but secures Nigeria’s place in the semi-finals, setting up a top-spot decider against Burkina Faso, who also have three points.
For Garba, who guided Nigeria to U17 World Cup glory in 2007, this was the perfect start to another continental campaign. The win also edges the Golden Eaglets closer to qualification for the 2026 Africa U17 Cup of Nations, a gateway to the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar.
