Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will miss both the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup following their elimination from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship after a 1–1 draw against Ivory Coast on Saturday.
The result in their second Group B fixture left the five-time world champions bottom of the group with just a single point from two matches, officially ending their qualification hopes.
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Head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere’s side entered the tie needing a win following a 2–1 loss to Niger Republic in their opening game on Wednesday.
However, Nigeria fell behind early in the 16th minute when Alex Fousseni put Ivory Coast ahead, leaving the Eaglets struggling to overturn the deficit. Despite equalizing, Nigeria failed to find a winning goal.
The early exit marks a third consecutive failure to qualify for the continental U-17 AFCON tournament, following missed appearances in 2025 and 2026.
Consequently, the team will also miss its fourth consecutive FIFA U-17 World Cup, having last featured at the global showpiece in 2019. PUNCH
