Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will miss the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar after their campaign at the WAFU-B U-17 Championship ended with a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday in Burkina Faso.
The result also dashed Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, extending the country’s absence from the continental competition to three consecutive editions.
The Golden Eaglets, coached by Eboboritse Uwejamomere, needed a victory against the Ivorians to remain in contention after losing their opening match to Niger Republic.
However, despite scoring in the 80th minute, Nigeria failed to secure the decisive goal that would have kept their campaign alive.
The draw allowed Niger and Côte d’Ivoire to advance to the semi-finals, leaving Nigeria eliminated from the regional tournament.
The latest setback means the Golden Eaglets will also miss a fourth consecutive edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Nigeria last featured at the global tournament in Brazil in 2019, where the team reached the round of 16.
The failure is a major disappointment for a country with a rich history in youth football. Nigeria have won the FIFA U-17 World Cup five times, making them the most successful nation in the competition’s history.
The team had entered the WAFU-B championship seeking a return to the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after missing the previous two editions.
Their inability to progress beyond the group stage, however, means Nigeria will again be absent from both the continental and global youth tournaments, raising fresh concerns about the country’s youth football development programme.
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