Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will miss both the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup after they were eliminated from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship following a 1-1 draw with Ivory Coast in Ouagadougou on Saturday.

The result in their second Group B match at the Stade du 4 Août left the five-time world champions bottom of the table with a solitary point from two games, ending their hopes of qualification.

The Golden Eaglets needed a victory after losing 2-1 to Niger Republic in their opening match last Wednesday, but they could not find the result required to stay alive in the competition.

Nigeria fell behind in the 16th minute when Alex Fousseni scored for Ivory Coast, leaving head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere’s side with an uphill task.

The young Nigerians continued to push for an equaliser and were rewarded in the 84th minute, when Abiodun John levelled the scores to set up a tense finish. Despite their late efforts, they could not find a winner.

Niger Republic finished top of Group B with four points, while Ivory Coast took second place with two points.

The failure to progress means Nigeria will miss the U-17 AFCON for the third consecutive edition, having also failed to qualify for the 2025 and 2026 tournaments, both hosted by Morocco. The North African country will also host the 2027 edition.

The disappointment extends to the global stage, as the team will miss the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fourth consecutive edition. The Golden Eaglets last took part in the tournament in 2019.

Former Ajax defender Frank de Boer has urged supporters to be patient with Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare, saying the forward should simply be allowed to play.

De Boer was speaking about the early excitement around the Nigerian at Ajax. He did not compare Arokodare to Marco van Basten or Patrick Kluivert. He used the two former Ajax strikers as an example of how Dutch fans tend to judge every new forward.

“We are used to comparing a striker to Van Basten and Kluivert, but I have also seen a few times that he is technically gifted and that you can make very good use of him. I have seen some great things. So just let him play,” De Boer told Tidesports source, via Ajax Showtime.

Arokodare joined Ajax from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer on a season-long loan with an option to buy, after a difficult spell in the Premier League.

He has scored seven goals and provided two assists in 11 appearances across all competitions, despite starting only six of those games.

The 25-year-old played the full 90 minutes of Ajax’s UEFA Conference League game away to Hajduk Split on Thursday but did not score.

De Boer, who played for Ajax and the Netherlands, also said the club could get more from Arokodare by delivering crosses from the flanks, which would suit his game in the penalty area.

The match winner for the senior national team, the Super Eagles in their 2-1 win over Madagascar Moses Usor is in a race against time to be fit for the Eagles’ upcoming AFCON 2027 qualifiers games against Tanzania.

The 24 year old Usor made an instant impression for Nigeria in his debut game, with a brilliant solo goal to seal a 2-1 win against Madagascar in their opening game of the series.

That magic he was not able to replicate against Guinea-Bissau where they were beaten 0-3, but he did enough to earn himself a spot in the team for the back to back games in November against Tanzania.

However a shoulder injury that saw him miss LASK 3-6 loss to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League is threatening his inclusion in the game.

Sources say he does not require a surgery, but it also depends on how well he recovers in the coming days. A timeline that could fall around when Nigeria host Tanzania in Uyo next month.