According to a report by Daily Post on Sunday October 18, 2026, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been eliminated from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship after playing a 1-1 draw against hosts Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday, October 17.

The disappointing result means Nigeria have missed out on qualification for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and will also lose the opportunity to compete for a place at the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Côte d’Ivoire took the lead in the 17th minute through Alex Bamba, who found the back of the net to put the hosts in control of the Group B encounter.

Nigeria had started the game positively, with Godswill Usoro coming close to opening the scoring in the ninth minute. However, his effort narrowly missed the target.

The Golden Eaglets continued to search for an equaliser, but Mubarak Fasiu missed a clear opportunity in the 38th minute, leaving Nigeria trailing 1-0 at half-time.

After the restart, Nigeria increased their efforts to get back into the contest and eventually found the equaliser in the 85th minute through Columbus.

The late goal raised hopes of a possible comeback, but the Nigerian youngsters were unable to find a winning goal despite their late pressure.

Abiodun John missed a golden opportunity in the 89th minute that could have given Nigeria the lead and potentially changed their fate in the competition.

The final whistle confirmed Nigeria’s elimination, with the draw proving insufficient to keep their qualification hopes alive.

The setback will be a major disappointment for the five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions, who have struggled to maintain consistent qualification for major youth tournaments in recent years.

Nigeria’s failure to progress from the WAFU-B competition means the Golden Eaglets will miss the 2027 U-17 AFCON, which serves as the continental qualifying pathway to the FIFA U-17 World Cup.