Former Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars Tuesday suffered a humbling 1-3 loss to the national U-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, in a pre-season friendly match played at the FIFA Goal Project pitch inside Package B of the MKO Abiola national stadium in Abuja.
Pillars who were relegated to the Nigeria National League (NNL) at the end of last season are camping in Abuja preparatory to the commencement of the NNL in March.
Although pitched against older and more experienced opponents, the Golden Eaglets put up a gallant display as they forced the more illustrious Kano Pillars to a 0-0 draw in the first half.
However, on resumption, Pillars brought their wealth of experience to bear on the encounter as they drew the first blood but the enterprising Eaglets fought back to level scores before going ahead to score two more goals to win the match 3-1.
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The WAFU-B champions are also finalising preparations for the 2023 U-17 AFCON slated for Algeria in April.
An official of the Golden Eaglets said it was not an easy match for the young lads but such matches will toughen the boys for the battles ahead.
“It was a good test match for the young boys. We’ve decided to expose them to such matches to make them tough and ready to face their mates,” he stated.