Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been knocked out of the WAFU-B U17 Championship after a 2-0 defeat to Ghana’s Black Starlets in Abidjan on Tuesday night.
The loss in the semi-final means Nigeria will not take part in the 2026 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, which serves as the only route to qualify for the next FIFA U-17 World Cup. It is the second consecutive time the Eaglets will miss out on the global tournament, despite being five-time world champions and the most successful team in the competition’s history.
The setback comes as a huge disappointment for Nigeria, who topped their group in style after scoring four goals and conceding just once. But against Ghana, they failed to deliver when it mattered most. The Black Starlets, who struggled through the group stage, rose to the occasion and sealed a famous win.
The result also flips recent history on its head. Nigeria had beaten Ghana 4-2 in the 2022 WAFU-B group stage and 3-2 in the bronze medal match of the same edition, but this time it was the Ghanaians who came out on top.
With this defeat, Nigeria will miss out on three major opportunities: the WAFU-B trophy, the U17 AFCON in 2026, and qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.
The Golden Eaglets last appeared at the U-17 World Cup in 2019, where they reached the Round of 16. They also missed the 2017 and 2023 editions, while the 2021 tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic.
For many Nigerian fans, the decline is worrying. From the heights of Victor Osimhen’s record-breaking 10 goals at the 2015 tournament to this latest disappointment, the once-feared Golden Eaglets are now struggling to live up to their legacy.