Golden Eaglets Target First Victory Against Australia at China Invitational Tournament

Golden Eaglets Target First Victory Against Australia at China Invitational Tournament

By Niyi Busari 

Nigeria's U-17 national team, the Golden Eaglets, will be aiming for their first victory at the 2026 China International Youth Football Tournament when they take on Australia in their second group match on Wednesday, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The encounter is scheduled to kick off at 4:00 p.m. at the Yinchuan Sports Center Stadium.

The five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat to Tanzania in their opening fixture but have since shifted their focus to the crucial clash against the Australians as they look to revive their campaign in the four-nation invitational tournament.

Hosts China will face Tanzania in the day's second fixture, with kickoff set for 7:35 p.m. local time.

The Golden Eaglets arrived in China last week to participate in the tournament, which runs from July 5 to July 11 in Yinchuan.

The competition forms a key part of Nigeria's preparations for the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations. The regional championship is scheduled to be held in September, making the invitational tournament an important opportunity for the coaching crew to assess the squad and fine-tune preparations ahead of the continental qualifiers.