Golden Eaglets head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has expressed deep disappointment over Nigeria’s elimination from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso, apologising to supporters after the team failed to qualify for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Nigeria’s hopes ended following a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire in Ouagadougou on Saturday, after losing their opening Group B fixture 2-1 to Niger Republic.
The five-time world champions needed victory against the Ivorians to reach the semi-finals but could only salvage a point after conceding an early goal.
Uwejamomere acknowledged the painful nature of the elimination, particularly for his young players, but urged them to treat the setback as a learning experience.
“For my players, obviously, they are young boys, 15- and 16-year-olds, and still have years and years ahead of them,” he said.
“This is like the first chapter of their careers as they go into elite football. So, it is just about learning from this and using it as an experience going forward in their careers.”
The coach also admitted that Nigerian supporters had every reason to feel disappointed.
“For the fans back home, I’m sure there is a bitter feeling. A lot of them probably hate me right now, hate us right now. But this is normal because they are fans and proud Nigerians,” he stated.
“They want and expect us to win every game and every tournament. That is normal. If I were back home, I would feel disappointed as well.”
Nigeria finished bottom of Group B with one point, while Niger Republic and Côte d’Ivoire advanced to the semi-finals, where they face Burkina Faso and Ghana respectively.
The result means Nigeria will miss the U-17 AFCON for a third successive edition and the FIFA U-17 World Cup for a fourth consecutive time.
The Golden Eaglets last appeared at the global tournament in 2019, despite remaining its most successful nation with five titles.
