Nigeria Humble Benin as Agha Nets Hat-Trick in WAFU B U17

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets delivered a statement performance in the WAFU B U17 Championship, crushing Benin 4-1 in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire on Wednesday.

Manu Garba’s side wasted no time asserting control, overwhelming their opponents with relentless attacking play and clinical finishing in the first half.

Teenage sensation George Agha took centre stage, scoring a brilliant hat-trick before the break to put the match beyond Benin’s reach.

Agha opened the scoring just four minutes in from the penalty spot after lively winger Boluwatife Thompson drew an early foul.

Captain David Edeh doubled Nigeria’s lead two minutes later with a superbly executed free-kick.

The Golden Eaglets continued to dominate, and by the 14th minute, Agha struck again after a fluid team move that sliced through Benin’s defence.

He completed his hat-trick in the 31st minute, capitalising on a defensive error after Thompson pressed the goalkeeper into a mistake.

Benin, desperate for a response after losing their opening match to Burkina Faso, pulled one back just before half-time through skipper Jeremy Zannou.

However, the Baby Cheetahs failed to build momentum, and Nigeria maintained control throughout the second half, comfortably seeing out the win while rotating their squad ahead of Saturday’s decisive clash with Burkina Faso.

The emphatic result sends Nigeria into the semi-finals and keeps their dream of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup alive.

It also cements their status as one of the tournament favourites, with Agha’s standout performance highlighting the depth of talent in Garba’s squad.