Golden Eaglets Miss 2027 U-17 AFCON, World Cup

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will miss the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the FIFA U-17 World Cup after exiting the ongoing WAFU-B U-17 Championship following a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday.

The result in their second Group B match at the Stade du 4 Août in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, left Nigeria with one point from two matches, placing them at the bottom of the group and ending their qualification hopes.

The five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions had needed a victory against Côte d’Ivoire after losing 2-1 to Niger Republic in their opening fixture. However, they were unable to secure the required result.

Nigeria fell behind in the 16th minute when Alex Fousseni scored for Côte d’Ivoire, putting pressure on head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere’s side to find an equaliser.

The Eaglets continued to push forward and eventually drew level in the 84th minute through Abiodun John. Despite the late goal, Nigeria could not find a winner before the final whistle.

Niger Republic finished top of Group B with four points, while Côte d’Ivoire secured second place with two points. Nigeria finished with a solitary point.

The elimination means the Golden Eaglets will miss the U-17 AFCON for the third consecutive edition, having also failed to qualify for the 2025 and 2026 tournaments, both hosted by Morocco. Morocco is also scheduled to host the 2027 competition.

Nigeria’s absence will extend to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, for which the continental tournament serves as a qualification route. The country will miss the global competition for the fourth consecutive edition, having last participated in 2019.

The latest setback adds to the challenges facing Nigeria’s youth football programme, as the country seeks to restore its presence in international age-grade competitions.