Golden Eaglets Suffer 2–0 Defeat To Ghana,Miss 2026 U17 AFCON
1 min read
By Sportsgister
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have suffered a heartbreaking exit from the WAFU B U17 Championship (2026 U17 AFCON Qualifiers) after falling 2–0 to arch-rivals Ghana’s Black Starlets in Yamoussoukro.
The defeat means the five-time world champions will not feature at the 2026 Africa U17 Cup of Nations, marking the second consecutive time the Eaglets will miss out on the continental showpiece — a worrying sign for the country’s youth football development.
Ghana seized control in the first half as Michael Awuli struck the opener.
Robinho Yao Gavi added a second shortly before halftime, leaving Nigeria with a mountain to climb.
No Way Back: Despite Nigeria’s attempts to rally after the break, the Black Starlets held firm to secure victory and a place in the final.
Nigeria’s elimination is a major setback for the country’s most successful youth team, famous for producing world-class talents.
This marks only the second time in history that the Golden Eaglets will miss back-to-back U17 AFCON tournaments, sparking concerns about the state of grassroots scouting, coaching, and preparation.
The Black Starlets progress to the final where they face Côte d’Ivoire on Friday.
The Eaglets will now battle Burkina Faso in the third-place playoff — a match that, while not changing qualification fate, will be key for pride and evaluation.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
