Heartbreak for Nigeria as Golden Eaglets fail to qualify for U17 AFCON despite stunning win against Ghana

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria came away with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over hosts Ghana in Tuesday's third-place match of the WAFU B U17 Championship on Tuesday night. 

Pulse Sports Nigeria reports that the win, however, was not enough to secure a spot at the 2025 Africa U17 Cup of Nations, which the Ivory Coast will host.

Despite the impressive performance led by the impressive Abdulmuiz Adeleke, who netted a stunning brace, including the late winner, Garba Manu's Nigeria ended the tournament in third place finish, which means they will not be among the 12 teams that will compete in the continental showpiece next year. 

This comes as a disappointment for the Nigerian camp, who were hoping to book their ticket to the U17 AFCON through this tournament after failing to secure a place in the final..

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has come out to confirm that the 2025 edition of the U17 AFCON will feature only 12 finalists, contrary to expectations that the tournament would be expanded to include more teams.

This news will come as a blow to the Golden Eaglets, who had their sights set on making it to the U17 AFCON despite failing to defend their WAFU B Championship.

 The team's bronze-medal finish, despite the victory over Ghana, was not enough to secure a spot in the continental showpiece and the chance to fight for a ticket to the FIFA U17 World Cup.

Nigerians had hoped for an expanded tournament to make up for the Eaglets’ WAFU disaster but CAF's decision to maintain the 12-team format means that some promising young talents will miss out on the opportunity to showcase their skills on the continental stage.

Qatar will host five consecutive FIFA U17 World Cup finals beginning next year, each having 48 teams in attendance.