Nigeria U17 coach begs fans for forgiveness after Golden Eaglets’ disastrous WAFU B exit

Nigeria U17 coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has apologised to the country’s football supporters after the Golden Eaglets suffered a group-stage elimination from the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso, ending their hopes of qualifying for next year’s continental and global tournaments.

The five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions failed to progress after losing 2-1 to Niger Republic and drawing 1-1 with Ivory Coast, results that left them unable to advance in the regional competition.

The disappointment carries significant consequences for Nigerian football, as the team will miss the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Their absence from the global tournament extends a drought that dates back to 2019.

Uwejamomere admitted the outcome had left the team devastated and acknowledged the frustration supporters back home would feel following the disappointing campaign.

“Obviously, the first impressions are unhappiness, disappointment. Now we are out of the tournament and more bigger picture is that we won’t go to the U-17 AFCON next year, we are unhappy and very disappointed overall,” he said.

Uwejamomere appeals to disappointed Nigerians

The coach recognised that expectations surrounding the Golden Eaglets remain high, given Nigeria’s pedigree in youth football and their record as five-time world champions.

He acknowledged that supporters would struggle to accept the team’s failure to deliver, but insisted that the disappointment extended beyond the stands to the players and technical team.

“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 fans, they are proud Nigerians, they want and they expect us to win every game, every tournament, that’s normal, back home I will feel disappointed.

“The only thing I can say to them is to forgive us because the disappointment they feel I’m also feeling, my players are also feeling the same disappointment.”

His appeal comes after a campaign in which Nigeria failed to secure the results needed to keep their qualification ambitions alive, leaving the country’s youth football programme facing renewed scrutiny.

Coach urges young players to learn from failure

Despite the setback, Uwejamomere urged his players to treat the experience as an important lesson as they continue their development in the game.

The coach pointed out that the squad consisted largely of teenagers at the beginning of their careers in elite football, suggesting the disappointment should not define their future prospects.

“For my players, obviously young boys, 15, 16 year olds, they still have years ahead of them. This is like the first chapter of their career going into elite football.

“So it’s just to learn from this and just use this as an experience going forward in their career.”

The elimination represents a major setback for the Golden Eaglets, a team that has historically been one of Nigeria’s strongest sources of success on the international stage.

Their failure to qualify for the 2027 U-17 AFCON also removes their opportunity to compete for a place at the next World Cup through the continental tournament.

For Uwejamomere and his players, the immediate task is to come to terms with the disappointment, while Nigerian football supporters will be left demanding answers over a campaign that ended before the knockout stages.

The coach’s apology acknowledges the weight of those expectations, but the team’s results have left Nigeria facing another prolonged wait for a return to the U-17 World Cup.