Five – time world champions, Golden Eaglets lost to Sao Paulo FC in a pre-World Cup friendly game played on Monday, as part of their preparations for this year’s FIFA U17 World Cup finals that will kick off in Brazil on October 26.
The match cam few days after their senior counterparts, the Super Eagles, played out a one all draw with the Brazilian national team.
Nigeria had opened the score sheet but Brazil drew level in the third minute of the second half.
In the later encounter, having settled down in the city of Sao Paulo and gradually adapting to the high altitude weather, the Nigerian side filed out against Sao Paulo FC’s U17 team at the Saropoca Sports Complex at 3pm local time, which was 7pm Nigerian time.
Speaking to thenff.com in Sao Paulo after breakfast on Sunday, Head Coach Manu Garba disclosed that the friendly game served as a good test for the players, to see how they are quickly settling down to the task ahead when the global championship kicks off in a fortnight.
“The team will play Sao Paulo FC and we want to see how they are adapting to some of the things learnt in the training sessions since we came to Sao Paulo,” Manu Garba said.
“The friendly game against Sao Paulo FC is one of the friendly games we have lined up for the team.
“The team will play Japan next in another friendly game before the end of the week,” he added.
Manu could not be reached for comments after the match which saw the Brazilian side triumph.
Nigeria will begin her quest for honours at the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup with a game against Hungary on October 26.
See NFF tweet below showing Golden Eaglets at the airport departing for Brazil for the World Cup coming up later this month:
And They’re off to Brazil! Goodluck Golden Eaglets. #SoarGoldenEaglets #Team9jaStrong pic.twitter.com/bjOTX66yq6
— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) October 9, 2019