Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been knocked out of the WAFU B U-17 Championship after a 1-1 draw with Cote d’Ivoire in their second Group B match in Burkina Faso on Saturday.
The result ended Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals and also ruled them out of contention for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Golden Eaglets went into the match needing victory to guarantee their place in the last four. They had opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat by Niger Republic, while Cote d’Ivoire had drawn 1-1 with the same opponents in their first Group B fixture.
Cote d’Ivoire made the stronger start and broke the deadlock in the 17th minute. Alex Bamba reacted quickest from a corner and bundled the ball into the net to put the Ivorians ahead.
Nigeria struggled to find an equaliser for much of the match and appeared set for another defeat. However, Abiodun John restored parity with five minutes remaining.
The late goal gave the Golden Eaglets hope of completing a comeback, but Cote d’Ivoire held on to secure the draw. The result was enough for the Ivorians to progress to the semi-finals alongside Niger Republic.
Nigeria’s failure to advance means the Golden Eaglets will not qualify for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be staged in Morocco.
It also ends their hopes of appearing at the 2027 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with qualification for that tournament linked to participation in the continental under-17 competition.