Eaglets suffer defeat against Niger in WAFU B U-17 opener

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets started their 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship with a disappointing loss on Tuesday night. They lost 2, 1 to Niger Republic at the Stade du 4 Août in Ouagadougou.

Head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere had spoken confidently before the match, believing in his players. But poor defending and bad tactics meant Niger took all three points, leaving Nigeria’s chances of qualifying in doubt in Group B.

The signs were there even before the match started. The team had to practice on a bad, termite-infested pitch because of a scheduling mix-up.

This lack of proper preparation showed during the game. Niger took charge early, pushing Nigeria back with better organization and speed. The first goal came in the 20th minute, thanks to a mistake from goalkeeper Mutiu Adedayo. He failed to handle a simple shot, letting the ball slip into his own net, giving Niger a 1, 0 lead.

Adedayo tried to make up for his mistake late in the first half. He made a great double-save around the 30-minute mark to stop Niger from scoring again before halftime.

After the break, the Eaglets looked for a response and tried to play faster. But their hopes for a comeback were hurt by an even weaker defense. Niger took advantage of this in the second half, finding big gaps in Nigeria’s defense. Although the Golden Eaglets scored a late goal to make it 2, 1, they could not find another goal to level the match.

The final whistle marked a tough loss for the five-time world champions. With a 2, 1 defeat to deal with, Uwejamomere’s team now has a big challenge ahead to turn their campaign around and keep their hopes of reaching the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations alive.