Five-time world champions, the Golden Eaglets along with three-time world champions Ghana, were ousted at the semi-final stage of the WAFU B U17 Championship on Saturday.
Burkina Faso overcame the host nation, while the Baby Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire narrowly eliminated the Eaglets.
Burkina Faso secured their spot in the final with a 2-1 victory over the Black Starlets.
In the other semi-final match, Youbah Coulibaly capitalized on a defensive error by Nigeria in the 54th minute, scoring the decisive goal at the University of Accra Stadium.
The Golden Eaglets fought hard, but the Baby Elephants exhibited superior composure and determination.
Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Dominic Chinedu, made several crucial saves to keep his team in the match.
With this defeat, the defending Champions have failed to qualify for the Africa U17 Cup of Nations in 2025 missing the opportunity to compete for a spot in the FIFA U17 World Cup finals.
As a result of their semi-final exit, Manu Garba’s team will now compete against hosts Ghana for third place on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso will battle it out in the final of the competition on the same day.
