The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the country’s U 20 and U 17 men’s national teams will resume camping later this year, with the Nigeria U-20 national football team set to return in July and the Nigeria U-17 national football team expected to begin preparations in September.
According to a schedule made available to BSN Sports, the Flying Eagles will commence their programme first, even though substantive head coaches are yet to be appointed for both teams. Applications for the vacant U 17 and U 20 coaching roles were submitted to the federation earlier this week as the NFF continues its selection process.
A source familiar with the plans stated, “Tentatively, the Flying Eagles should resume in July while Golden Eaglets hit the camp in September ahead of their age grade competitions. The source said. This was done such that they can have more time to prepare for the championships.” The federation also clarified that the names of the new coaches will only be announced after ratification by its Executive Board.
As of February 2026, there is no WAFU B U 20 Championship scheduled for this year. The regional tournament traditionally serves as the qualifying pathway to the U 20 Africa Cup of Nations. The most recent WAFU B qualifying competition was held in May 2025 and produced representatives for the FIFA U 20 World Cup.
The Confederation of African Football has confirmed that the next U 20 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments after 2025 will take place in 2027, 2029 and 2031, ruling out a 2026 edition. Meanwhile, the 2026 U 17 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to be staged in Morocco from April 25 to May 15, 2026. The 16 team tournament will also act as the qualifying route for the 2027 FIFA U 17 World Cup, placing added importance on the Golden Eaglets’ preparations later this year.
