Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been eliminated from the WAFU B U17 Boys Cup after drawing 1-1 with Côte d’Ivoire, ruling them out of next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations and, consequently, the FIFA U17 World Cup
The result extends Nigeria’s absence from the U17 World Cup, with the country last appearing at the tournament in 2019.
Côte d’Ivoire took the lead in the 16th minute through Alex Fousseni, leaving Nigeria facing an early setback in a match they needed to win to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The Golden Eaglets struggled to find a response as the Ivorians held on to their advantage, putting increasing pressure on the Nigerian youngsters to produce a breakthrough.
Nigeria eventually found an equaliser in the 84th minute through Abiodun John, who restored parity and offered a late chance of salvaging the contest.
However, the goal came too late to change Nigeria’s fate. The match ended 1-1, confirming the Golden Eaglets’ elimination from the regional competition.
