Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets began their 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship campaign with a 2–1 defeat to Niger Republic at the Stade du 4 Août in Ouagadougou on Tuesday night.
The defeat leaves head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere’s side with work to do as they seek to progress in the competition and secure qualification for the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.
The loss followed a challenging build-up to the tournament, with the Nigerian squad reportedly forced to train on a substandard, termite-infested pitch after a scheduling mix-up.
Niger made the most of Nigeria’s defensive weaknesses, taking control of the match early and applying pressure on the Golden Eaglets.
The breakthrough came in the 20th minute when Nigerian goalkeeper Mutiu Adedayo failed to hold a routine effort, spilling the ball over his own goal line to give Niger a 1–0 lead.
Adedayo later produced a double save around the half-hour mark to prevent Niger from extending their advantage before half-time.
Nigeria attempted to respond after the restart by increasing the tempo of their attacks, but defensive lapses continued to undermine their efforts.
Niger capitalised on another defensive error in the second half to double their lead, putting the Golden Eaglets under further pressure.
The Nigerian side managed to pull a goal back late in the encounter following an attacking spell, reducing the deficit to 2–1.
However, they were unable to find an equaliser before the final whistle, leaving them to reflect on a disappointing start to their campaign.
The result presents a challenge for the five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions, who must improve their performance in their remaining group fixtures to keep their hopes of progressing in the WAFU B tournament and qualifying for the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations alive.
