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By Amaechi Agbo

Former national coach of the U-17 male team, Golden Eaglets, Elder Coach Samuel Abimbola has charged the players to remain focused as they take on the Baby Elephants of Ivory Coast in the final of the 2021 West Africa Football Union, WAFU U-17 Tournament in Lome Togo, today.

Coach Abimbola who led the U-17 to the final of 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria as an additional, said that the team is improving per game as expected.

“They qualified to the semi-final without winning a match in their group but they showed their pedigree in the semi-final match against Burkina Faso.

“They should remain focused. They are not far from the trophy and I am confident that if they are not distracted, they will come home with the trohpy,” Abimbola told our correspondent in Abuja.

On the chances of the Eaglets to beat the Baby Elephants having lost 1-0 in their Group B opening match a fortnight ago, the former Sunshine Stars and Gateway FC handler said the final match will be a different ball game.

“They will not repeat that,” the coach started when asked if the Ivorians would beat Nigeria again.

“The first match could have gone either way. The two teams just came into the tournament and they were not composed.

“In football competition the higher you go, the more composure, you get. The more understanding the players get too. So, the Ivorians will not beat them again this time,” he said.

Nigeria will battle Ivory Coast in the WAFU ZONE B U-17 tournament final today in Lome, Togo.

The match will kick-off by 8pm Nigeria time. The Golden Eaglets are defending Champions.