By Daily Sports Nigeria on October 2, 2025

Head coach of Nigeria’s male U-17 team, also known as the Golden Eaglets, Manu Garba, is critical of the Confederation of African Football’s decision to limit the number of teams that can qualify for the U-17 AFCON from WAFU B to two, after Nigeria fell short again at the regional qualifying tournament, The PUNCH reports.

The Golden Eaglets were beaten 2-0 in the second semi-final of the WAFU B tournament on Tuesday in the Ivory Coast, meaning they will not be part of the 2026 U-17 AFCON and, by extension, the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which has now become an annual tournament.

The setback comes after failing to reach the final of the previous edition in 2024, which cost them a place at the 2025 U-17 AFCON and, by extension, the expanded FIFA U-17 World Cup.

After the latest setback, Garba, who led Nigeria to the FIFA U-17 World Cup title in 2013, believes it is unfair to limit the zone, which has the strongest teams on the continent, to two teams.

“When they started the WAFU B competition in the Niger Republic, we had seven countries and one country would qualify,” Garba said after the defeat to Ghana.

“I was the one who raised an observation that WAFU B is the strongest zone in Africa. So, Africa needs good representation, and that is why they gave us two slots.

“I am still complaining that it is wrong. Nigeria is still rated number one in the world at the FIFA U-17 level. How can CAF give us just two slots? The last time in Ghana, there was one more slot, but unfortunately, CAF didn’t give the third slot to this zone; they gave it to WAFU A. I think it’s very unfair to a zone like the WAFU B. In youth football, we are the strongest in Africa, and we should get at least three slots.

“I am a World Cup winner, I won in 2007 and 2013 in the UAE, so I know what it means. So, CAF must look at WAFU B and give us three slots, which will go a long way for Africa, too. This is my complaint to CAF.”

Nigeria has won the FIFA U-17 World Cup five times (1985, 1993, 2007, 2013, 2015) – the most by any country in the world but the last time the team played at the tournament was in 2019, in Brazil, where they crashed out in the round of 16 against the Netherlands.

As things stand, Ghana and the Ivory Coast will pick the WAFU B tickets to the U-17 AFCON.

In CAF’s allocation of slots for the U-17 AFCON, WAFU A with eight countries have three, WAFU B with seven countries have two, the North Zone with five countries have three slots, the Central Zone with eight countries also have two slots, the Central East Zone with 10 countries have three spots while the South Zone with 12 countries also have three slots.

With 16 teams playing the U-17 AFCON, Africa is expanded to produce 10 teams for the 48-team FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Source Punch Ng

Posted October 2, 2025

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