Nigeria will miss the 2024 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA U-17 World Cup appearances after a shocking loss to Cote d’Ivoire Cote d’Ivoire’s Baby Elephants secured a stunning 1-0 win over Nigeria in semifinals of WAFU B U-17 Championship, ending the Golden Eaglets’ AFCON and FIFA U-17 World Cup hopes
Nigeria advanced to the semifinals as Group B winners following victories against Niger and Togo, along with a draw against Burkina Faso.
Under the guidance of Manu Garba, the team showcased their prowess by scoring four goals and conceding none in those matches, setting up a clash with Group A runners-up, Cote d’Ivoire.
However, the Golden Eaglets struggled to find their attacking edge against the Ivorians, failing to equalize after conceding a second-half goal from Youbah Koulibaly.
Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso will represent their groups at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, with Ghana and Nigeria exiting the tournament.
Notwithstanding, Ghana and Nigeria will face off in the final of the WAFU B Tournament.
Ghana, the hosts of the WAFU B U-17 Championship, suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Burkina Faso earlier in the year.
As the U-17 AFCON serves as the qualification route for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Nigeria’s absence also means they will not participate in the 20th edition of the tournament.
This marks the second consecutive World Cup missed by the Golden Eaglets, following their failure to qualify for the 2023 edition.
Nigeria holds the record for the most U-17 World Cup titles, with five championships, the latest of which was secured in 2015.
