Golden Eaglets coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has apologised to Nigerians following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2027 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations after a disappointing outing at the WAFU-B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso.
Nigeria finished bottom of Group B with just one point from two matches, losing 2-1 to Niger Republic before settling for a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire. The results ended the team’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
The failure means Nigeria will miss the next continental tournament and, consequently, the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. It also marks another setback for the country’s youth football programme, with the Golden Eaglets set to miss a fourth consecutive edition of the global competition.
Uwejamomere acknowledged the disappointment among Nigerian supporters, admitting that the poor campaign had affected both the coaching crew and the players.
“For the fans back home, it’s a bitter feeling. A lot of them probably hate us right now, but this is normal because they are proud Nigerians and they want us to win every game, every tournament,” he said.
The coach appealed for forgiveness, stressing that the team shared the same frustration as its supporters.
“The only thing I can say to them is to forgive us because the disappointment they feel is also what I’m feeling. My players are also feeling the same disappointment,” he added.
Uwejamomere also urged Nigerians to remember that the players are still young and have opportunities to learn from the setback as they develop their careers.
Nigeria’s record five FIFA U-17 World Cup titles has established the country as a traditional force in youth football, making the latest failure to qualify another source of concern for supporters.
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