According to a report published by Flashscore on Saturday, October 17, 2026, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have suffered elimination from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship after drawing 1-1 with tournament hosts Côte d’Ivoire. The result ended their chances of securing a place at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria, who have won the FIFA U-17 World Cup five times, entered the match needing all three points to remain in contention for qualification. However, despite scoring late in the encounter, the young Nigerians were unable to secure the victory required to keep their campaign alive.

The hosts gained the advantage in the 17th minute when Alex Bamba found the back of the net, putting the Golden Eaglets under pressure early in the contest.

Nigeria had begun the match with attacking ambition and almost took the lead in the ninth minute through Godswill Usoro. His effort, however, went narrowly wide, denying the visitors an opportunity to establish an early advantage.

The Golden Eaglets continued searching for a way back into the game but struggled to finish their chances. Mubarak Fasiu had a promising opportunity to equalise in the 38th minute, but he failed to convert it.

Nigeria therefore entered the interval one goal behind, knowing they needed a much-improved second-half performance to avoid elimination from the tournament.

After the restart, the Nigerian team increased their attacking efforts in pursuit of an equaliser. They understood that finding the net was essential to their hopes of progressing in the competition.

Their persistence eventually paid off in the 85th minute when Columbus scored to bring the match level at 1-1. The late goal gave Nigeria fresh hope of turning the contest around and securing the result they desperately needed.

Nevertheless, the Golden Eaglets could not complete the comeback. Abiodun John missed a significant chance to put Nigeria ahead in the 89th minute, allowing Côte d’Ivoire to preserve the draw despite the visitors' late pressure.

When the referee blew the final whistle, Nigeria’s elimination was confirmed, as their failure to secure a victory left them unable to advance in the competition.

The outcome means the Golden Eaglets will not participate in the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations or the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The African tournament provides the qualification pathway for teams hoping to compete at the global youth championship.

Nigeria’s failure to qualify represents another disappointing chapter for the country's youth football development. Despite the Golden Eaglets' historic achievements at the U-17 level, the team continues to face difficulties in consistently reaching major international tournaments.