Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have failed to qualify for both the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U-17 World Cup after a 1-1 draw against Ivory Coast at the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship in Ouagadougou on Saturday, Trybal News reports.
The result left Nigeria bottom of Group B with one point from two matches, ending their qualification hopes following a 2-1 defeat to Niger Republic in their opening game.
The Golden Eaglets fell behind in the 16th minute when Alex Fousseni put Ivory Coast ahead. Nigeria pushed for an equaliser and eventually found one in the 84th minute through Abiodun John, but they were unable to secure the winner needed to keep their campaign alive.
Niger Republic finished top of Group B with four points, while Ivory Coast claimed second place with two points.
The failure marks another disappointing chapter for Nigerian youth football, with the Golden Eaglets missing the U-17 AFCON for the third consecutive edition after failing to qualify for the 2025 and 2026 tournaments, both held in Morocco.
Nigeria will also miss the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fourth consecutive edition. The five-time world champions last featured at the global tournament in 2019.
The 2027 U-17 AFCON will also be hosted by Morocco, but Nigeria will be absent once again as the team continues its struggle to return to the continental and global stages.
