Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have failed to qualify for the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Ghana in the semi-finals of the WAFU-B U17 Championship on Tuesday at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, Bold Sports reports.
The highly anticipated West African derby was decided in the first half as the Black Starlets struck twice in quick succession. Michael Awuli opened the scoring in the 21st minute before Robinho Yao Gavi doubled Ghana’s lead ten minutes later to put the game firmly out of Nigeria’s reach.
Despite the Eaglets’ attempts to claw their way back, they failed to break down Ghana’s organised defence. The defeat means Nigeria will miss the U-17 AFCON for a second consecutive edition and, by extension, will not feature at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup. It is the third straight time the five-time world champions have failed to reach the global tournament.
The result is particularly disappointing given the Eaglets had topped their group earlier in the competition after a goalless draw with Burkina Faso in their final group match, setting up the semi-final showdown with their archrivals.
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In the other semi-final fixture, hosts Côte d’Ivoire came from behind to defeat Burkina Faso 2-1, booking their spot in the final where they will face Ghana. Both finalists have secured qualification for the 2026 U-17 AFCON in Morocco, with the title decider set to determine the new regional champions.
For Ghana, the 2-0 victory marks their first return to the U-17 AFCON since 2017 and gives them a chance to avenge their 3-0 loss to Côte d’Ivoire in the group stage.
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