Golden Eaglets crash out of WAFU-B Championship, miss U17 World Cup

Nigeria's Golden Eaglets suffered an unexpected U-17 exit after a 1-1 draw with Côte d’Ivoire in the final Group B match of the WAFU B U-17 Championship. This result eliminated Nigeria from the qualifying tournament, relegating them to last place in Group B with just one point from two games. Côte d’Ivoire, on the other hand, secured second place with two points, while Nigeria topped the group with four points.

The Golden Eaglets' performance marked a significant improvement from their opening game, where they were defeated 2-1 by Niger. However, their defensive vulnerabilities proved costly as Nigeria fell behind midway through the first half. Nigeria entered the second half with renewed vigor, pressing for an equalizer and creating several promising chances.

Their efforts finally bore fruit five minutes from time when substitute John Abiodun equalized with a well-executed run by Colombus Igboenyobe. Abiodun came close to securing a dramatic victory in the 89th minute, but his shot hit the post, narrowly missing the target. Later, Nigeria came within inches of a late win when the Ivorian goalkeeper made a brilliant save, thwarting a goal-bound effort that had the potential to be a game-changer.