Golden Eaglets Coach Uwejamomere Apologises After Nigeria’s WAFU B U-17 Championship Exit

Golden Eaglets head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has apologised to Nigerians following the team’s disappointing exit from the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship, which also ended their hopes of qualifying for next year’s Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.

Nigeria were eliminated at the group stage after playing a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday. The result left the Golden Eaglets at the bottom of Group B with just one point from two matches.

The Nigerian side had begun their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Niger Republic, leaving them under pressure to secure a positive result against Côte d’Ivoire. However, the draw proved insufficient to keep their tournament hopes alive.

The elimination means Nigeria will miss the 2027 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, extending a disappointing run for the former youth football champions, who have now failed to qualify for the last two editions of the competition.

Speaking after the team’s exit, Uwejamomere admitted that the outcome was painful for the coaching staff and players, acknowledging the disappointment felt by supporters across the country.

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

The coach also recognised that Nigerians had expected a much stronger performance from the team, given the country’s history and reputation in youth football.

“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,” Uwejamomere said.

He appealed to supporters to forgive the team, stressing that the players and coaching staff shared the same sense of disappointment over their failure to progress.

“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,” he added.

Nigeria’s early departure represents another setback for the Golden Eaglets, a team that has historically enjoyed considerable success in international youth football. The latest failure is likely to raise further questions about the team’s preparation, performance and development pathway as Nigerian football looks ahead to future youth competitions.