Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets were forced to conduct their final training session ahead of their opening match at the ongoing WAFU-B U17 Championship on a termite-infested five-a-side pitch in Ouagadougou on Tuesday evening.

The Nigerian team had been scheduled to train at the USFA football pitch in the Burkina Faso capital. However, upon arriving at the venue, the contingent discovered that USFA, the facility's owners, had arranged a friendly match for the same time allocated to the Eaglets.

The Nigerian youngsters were subsequently directed to a nearby five-a-side pitch beside the main facility. The alternative venue, however, had a poor playing surface that was considered unsuitable for a team preparing for a competitive international tournament.

Efforts by Paul Okwudolor, manager of Nigeria's U17 national team, to contact the championship organisers over the situation proved unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

The development left the players unhappy, having been denied the opportunity to complete their preparations under suitable conditions ahead of the crucial opening fixture.

Despite the setback, the technical crew and players have resolved to put the incident behind them and concentrate on Wednesday's encounter against their counterparts from Niger Republic.

Nigeria, five-time world champions at U17 level, must negotiate their way past Niger Republic and Côte d’Ivoire in Group B before progressing to the knockout stages of the competition.

The WAFU-B U17 Championship serves as a qualifying tournament for next year's U17 Africa Cup of Nations, making a strong start particularly important for the Golden Eaglets as they pursue their continental ambitions.