Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been eliminated from the WAFU-B U-17 Championship after playing out a 1-1 draw against Ivory Coast in their final Group B fixture, Trybal News reports.
The result means Nigeria will miss the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the second consecutive edition, matching the country’s worst record of successive absences from the tournament, last recorded in 2009 and 2011.
The Golden Eaglets finished their campaign without a victory in two matches. Ivory Coast took the lead in the 17th minute through Alex Bamba, who converted from a corner kick.
Nigeria pushed for an equaliser but struggled to make their chances count, with Mubarak Fasiu missing a clear opportunity before the break.
Columbus Igboenyobe eventually restored parity in the 84th minute, reacting quickest to a rebound to score from close range. Despite late pressure, Nigeria failed to find a winner and were sent crashing out at the group stage for the first time in the competition’s history.
