Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been eliminated from the WAFU-B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso, while the Flamingos suffered a 1-2 defeat to Poland in their opening match at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Key Highlights
- Golden Eaglets draw 1-1 with Côte d’Ivoire and exit WAFU-B U-17 Championship.
- Abiodun John’s late equaliser not enough after earlier 1-2 loss to Niger.
- Flamingos lose 1-2 to Poland in their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup opener in Rabat.
- Kanyinsola Yusuf scores off the bench for Nigeria.
- Flamingos face Puerto Rico on October 20 and Korea DPR on October 23.
The Golden Eaglets were knocked out at the group stage following a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday, while the Flamingos failed to secure a positive result in Rabat despite a late goal that raised hopes of a comeback.
Eaglets Exit in Ouagadougou
In Ouagadougou, the Eaglets needed an outright victory against Côte d’Ivoire after losing 1-2 to Niger Republic on Wednesday.
However, Nigeria fell behind in the 16th minute when Alex Fousseni capitalised on a counterattack to put the Ivorian side ahead.
The Nigerian youngsters mounted sustained pressure in search of an equaliser but struggled to break down their opponents’ defence until Abiodun John scored with just two minutes of regulation time remaining.
The late goal proved insufficient to save Nigeria’s campaign, as the draw confirmed their elimination from the competition.
Flamingos Beaten by Poland in Rabat
Meanwhile, in Rabat, the Flamingos began their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a narrow defeat to Poland.
Both teams enjoyed periods of possession during the opening half-hour before Poland were awarded a penalty in the 33rd minute following a Video Support review of an incident involving a Nigerian defender and a Polish attacker.
Wiktoria Skrzypczak converted the spot kick to give Poland the lead, which they maintained until half-time.
Poland appeared to have extended their advantage in the 63rd minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
However, Natalia Skrok doubled Poland’s lead two minutes later after taking advantage of a poor clearance by the Nigerian defence.
Flamingos coach Akeem Busari responded with tactical changes in the 68th minute, introducing Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru for Harmony Chidi and Mary Dunstan.
He made two additional substitutions ten minutes later, bringing on Kanyinsola Yusuf and Precious Oscar for Queen Joseph and Adesuyi.
The changes yielded an immediate impact as Yusuf reduced the deficit in the 79th minute, giving Nigeria renewed hope of salvaging a point.
The Flamingos pressed for an equaliser and appealed for a penalty in the 86th minute following an incident involving Kemi Adegbuyi. However, after another review, the referee maintained her original decision.
Poland held on through the closing minutes to secure all three points.
Nigeria will seek to recover from the defeat when they face Puerto Rico in their next Group B fixture on Tuesday, October 20, before taking on Korea DPR on Friday, October 23.
Read also:
- Super Sand Eagles Lose To Ghana On Penalties As Golden Eaglets Get Embassy Boost In Burkina Faso
- Flamingos Target Winning Start Against Poland At FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
- Flamingos Maintain Perfect Run With Victory Over Burkina Faso
Ikpeme Visits Future Eagles Ahead of FIFA U-15 World Cup
In a related development, the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, on Saturday visited the camp of the U-15 boys’ national team, the Future Eagles, as they prepare for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan.
The tournament and festival are scheduled to hold from October 22 to 31, 2026.
Ikpeme was accompanied by the NFF’s Head of International Competitions, Dayo Enebi Achor, during the visit to the team’s camp.
The officials were pictured with the Future Eagles as the young Nigerian players continued preparations for the international competition.
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