Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets got their 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship campaign off to a disastrous start on Tuesday night, slumping to a shocking 2–1 defeat against the Niger Republic at the Stade du 4 Août in Ouagadougou.
Head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere had cut a bullish figure in his pre-match remarks, expressing absolute confidence in his boys. However, an evening plagued by defensive calamity and glaring tactical disorganization ensured Niger walked away with all three points, leaving Nigeria’s qualification hopes hanging by a thread in Group B.
The writing was arguably on the wall before a ball was even kicked, following chaotic preparations that saw the squad forced to train on a substandard, termite-infested pitch due to a scheduling mix-up.
That lack of polish translated directly onto the pitch. Niger seized control of the tempo early on, pinning the Nigerian lads back with superior structure and urgency. The deadlock was broken in the 20th minute courtesy of a nightmare moment for goalkeeper Mutiu Adedayo. Failing to deal with a routine effort, Adedayo clumsily spilled the ball over his own goal line to hand the West African neighbors a gift-wrapped 1–0 lead.
Adedayo did at least partially redeem himself toward the end of the half, pulling off a sharp double-save around the half-hour mark to prevent Niger from running away with the fixture before the interval.
Desperate for a reaction after the restart, the Eaglets attempted to inject urgency into their build-up play. Yet, any hopes of a structured comeback were repeatedly undermined by an increasingly porous backline.
Niger capitalized on further defensive laxity in the second half to double their advantage, exposing yawning gaps in the Nigerian rearguard. While the Golden Eaglets managed to pull a goal back through a late, scrappy attacking spell to make it 2–1, they lacked the composure and cutting edge required to find an equalizer.
The full-time whistle confirmed a bitter pill to swallow for the five-time world champions. With a 2–1 deficit to digest, Uwejamomere’s side now faces a daunting task to resurrect their campaign and keep their dreams of reaching the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations alive.
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