Nigeria’s hopes of competing at the 2025 CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco have been officially dashed, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirming that the Golden Eaglets did not qualify.
The five-time world champions, who have made a record ten appearances at the tournament, fell short in the qualifiers.
Photo by imago
Manu Garba’s side finished third at the WAFU B U17 Championship last year, securing a 3-2 victory over Ghana to claim the bronze medal. However, only the top two teams from the regional qualifiers earned automatic spots for Morocco 2025, leaving Nigeria out of contention.
In recent weeks, there was speculation that Golden Eaglets could still qualify if CAF expanded the tournament to 16 teams, following FIFA’s decision to increase Africa’s U17 World Cup slots.
The TotalEnergies CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 is scheduled to run from March 30 to April 19, serving as the pathway for teams aiming to qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar later that year. The tournament draw is expected to take place later this month.