Defending champions of the WAFU B U17 tournament, the Golden Eaglets, will begin their title defence tomorrow against Cote d’Ivoire with an entirely different game plan after 40 of the 60 players picked for the tournament failed the MRI age test in Abuja, officials have told SCORENigeria
Before the failed test, the squad were brimming with several top quality central defenders, which made coach Fatai Amoo to adopt the 3-5-2 formation.
However, after the test eliminated many of these central defenders, Amoo has now had to resort to the 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation.
“Always formation comes with the kind of players you have – before the MRI removed our players we were using 3-5-2, but now we are going with 4-3-3 or 4-4-2,” an official told SCORENigeria
SCORENigeria learnt that before the ill-fated MRI test, a solid and adventurous defence was the mainstay of the team.
But currently the “new” Eaglets now count on their midfield and attack.
Captain Chukwemeka Egbu will most likely be deployed as the team’s main defensive midfield. He may lack in inches, but he is still athletic and very effective.
Offensive midfielders Samuel Akere and John Kolawole have the quality to be among the standout players of this team.
In attack, winger Christian Nwachukwu and striker Joseph Arumala hold the aces.
Nwachukwu, for one, has come into his element in the closing days of training camp in Abuja and now has four goals and four assists in five test games.
