Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will meet Côte d’Ivoire and Niger Republic in Group B of the WAFU B qualifying competition for the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Three-team Group B awaits Nigeria
The regional qualifying tournament is set for October 10 to 23 and will feature seven West African nations competing for berths at the continental finals.
Nigeria’s section contains two familiar opponents, Côte d’Ivoire and Niger, creating a compact but potentially demanding group for the Golden Eaglets.
Groups for the regional qualifiers
- Group A: Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Ghana and Togo
- Group B: Côte d’Ivoire, Niger Republic and Nigeria
Eaglets targeting a return
The draw has clarified Nigeria’s route as the team begins preparations for another bid to qualify for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Golden Eaglets possess an outstanding record at youth level, having lifted the FIFA U-17 World Cup five times — more than any other nation. Even so, recent qualification campaigns have demonstrated how strongly contested youth football has become across the WAFU B zone.
Nigeria must therefore navigate both Group B fixtures successfully if it is to maintain its hopes of reaching the continental competition.
Path to the continental championship
The WAFU B qualifiers will be played between October 10 and 23, with the top-performing teams earning progression to the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
