Former Super Eagles defender Celestine Babayaro has expressed disappointment over Nigeria’s absence from the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Babayaro, who served as a draw assistant during the official tournament draw ceremony, admitted it was painful not seeing Nigeria represented among the qualified nations.
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“It’s a pity Nigeria won’t be there,” Babayaro said.
According to the former Chelsea defender, Nigeria’s rich history in youth football makes the absence even more difficult to accept.
“Nigeria is a country with strong youth football tradition,” he implied.
Despite his disappointment, Babayaro revealed that he remains excited to watch the next generation of young football talents who will participate in the tournament.
“I’m still looking forward to seeing the young stars,” he noted.
The former Nigerian international stressed that youth tournaments remain important platforms for discovering future global football stars.
“These competitions always produce exciting talents,” he added.
Nigeria has historically been one of the most successful countries in FIFA U-17 World Cup history, making the team’s absence a major talking point among football fans.
“Many supporters expected Nigeria to qualify,” football observers continue to note.
Babayaro remains hopeful that Nigerian youth football can recover strongly in future qualification campaigns.
“Nigeria must return stronger,” he stressed.
For the former Super Eagles star, the message is clear.
Nigeria’s absence hurts deeply.
Youth football remains important.
And the country must work toward returning to global youth competitions quickly.
Because Nigeria has a proud history of producing world-class talents through youth football tournaments.
