Golden Eaglets lose to Niger in WAFU-B U17 opener

Nigeria‘s Golden Eaglets began their 2026 WAFU-B U17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on a disappointing note after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Niger in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Wednesday.

Goals from Abdoul Razaq Zada and Abdoul Rakilou secured victory for Niger, while Mubarak Fasiu scored a late consolation goal for Nigeria.

The defeat leaves the Golden Eaglets under pressure ahead of their next fixture against Côte d’Ivoire, with their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U17 World Cup hanging in the balance.

Niger punish Golden Eaglets

Niger took the lead in the 19th minute through Zada, giving their side an early advantage and forcing Nigeria to chase the game.

The Golden Eaglets battled to find an equaliser but struggled to break down their opponents and prevent them from extending their lead.

Niger appeared to have sealed the victory in the 86th minute when Rakilou found the net to make it 2-0, leaving Nigeria facing the prospect of an opening-match defeat.

Fasiu pulled one back for Nigeria in the fifth minute of stoppage time, but his late effort proved insufficient to rescue a point as Niger held on to claim all three points.

Golden Eaglets face must-win clash

The result leaves Nigeria needing a strong response against Côte d’Ivoire to keep their qualification hopes alive, with another setback potentially ending their ambitions of reaching both the U17 AFCON and the FIFA U17 World Cup.

Côte d’Ivoire, meanwhile, need only a draw to secure progression to the next round, placing additional pressure on the Nigerian youngsters ahead of the decisive encounter.

The WAFU-B U17 Championship serves as the qualifying tournament for the continental youth competition, which offers a pathway to the FIFA U17 World Cup.

The defeat also follows reports of difficult training conditions ahead of Nigeria’s opener, with the team reportedly forced to use a poorly maintained, termite-infested five-a-side pitch during their final training session on Tuesday.

The Golden Eaglets must now regroup, improve their performance and take their chances against Côte d’Ivoire to avoid an early exit.

With their qualification hopes at stake, Nigeria will need a determined display in their next outing to keep their ambitions of returning to the major youth football stage alive.

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