Golden Eaglets’ Free Fall Continues with Second Straight Defeat at China Four-Nation Tournament
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets’ struggles at the 2026 Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in China continued on Wednesday after they suffered a 4-2 defeat to Australia, their second consecutive loss in the competition.
The five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions were once again undone by defensive lapses as Australia capitalised on their chances in an entertaining six-goal encounter.
The defeat comes just days after the Eaglets opened their campaign with a narrow 3-2 loss to Tanzania, leaving the Nigerian side rooted to the bottom of the four-team standings without a point after two matches.
Despite showing flashes of attacking quality by scoring twice against the Australians, coach Uwejamomere Eboboritse’s young side struggled to cope defensively, conceding four goals and taking their total goals against to seven in just two games.
After two matches, the Golden Eaglets have scored four goals but remain without a point, raising concerns as they continue preparations for the upcoming WAFU B U-17 Championship scheduled for September.
The invitational tournament in China is primarily aimed at helping the coaching crew assess players, improve team chemistry and expose the squad to quality international opposition ahead of future continental assignments.
Nigeria will now look to avoid ending the competition without a win when they face tournament hosts China in their final fixture on Saturday, July 11.
A positive result against the hosts would provide a timely confidence boost for the young Eaglets as they continue rebuilding ahead of the WAFU B Championship and other international competitions later in the year.
