Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have crashed out of the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship following a 1-1 draw against Ivory Coast in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Saturday, October 17, 2026.The disappointing result ends Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The five-time world champions finished bottom of Group B with just one point from two matches.
The Eaglets needed a victory to keep their qualification hopes alive after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Niger Republic in their opening game on Wednesday. However, Ivory Coast took the lead in the 16th minute through Alex Fousseni at the Stade du 4 Août.
Nigeria, under head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere, battled to get back into the contest and eventually equalised in the 84th minute through Abiodun John.
Despite the late goal, the Nigerian side could not find a winner, leaving them unable to progress to the next stage of the competition.
Niger Republic finished top of Group B with four points, while Ivory Coast secured second place with two points. Both teams advanced to the next round.
The elimination means Nigeria will miss the U-17 AFCON for the third consecutive edition. The Golden Eaglets failed to qualify for the 2025 and 2026 tournaments, both hosted by Morocco, which is also scheduled to stage the 2027 edition.
Nigeria’s absence from the continental competition also means the team will miss the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fourth consecutive time.
The Golden Eaglets last participated in the global tournament in 2019, despite holding the record for the most titles, having won the competition five times.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Nigeria’s Flamingos kicked off their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign on a disappointing note after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening Group B fixture in Rabat, Morocco, on Saturday, October 17.Poland opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Wiktoria Skrzypczak converted a penalty awarded after Ohunene Sunday fouled Zofia Cendrowska inside the penalty area.
The European side extended their lead in the 66th minute through Natalia Skrok, putting Nigeria under pressure as the match approached its closing stages.
However, forward Oluebube Umejiaku gave the Flamingos renewed hope in the 79th minute by pulling one goal back. Despite mounting a late attacking effort, Akeem Busari’s team were unable to find an equaliser before the final whistle.
The loss leaves Nigeria without a point at the bottom of Group B, alongside Puerto Rico, who were thrashed 6-0 by four-time champions Korea DPR in their opening match.
Poland and Korea DPR currently occupy the top two positions in the group, with three points each following their victories.
The Flamingos entered the competition on the back of an impressive run, having won the WAFU-B title in Ivory Coast last month and defeated Benin in the final round of qualification.
Captain Harmony Chidi, who scored eight goals during the qualifying campaign and regional tournament, is among the key players expected to inspire Nigeria’s response in their remaining group matches.
Nigeria will return to action on Tuesday, October 20, when they take on Puerto Rico in a crucial fixture as they seek their first victory and attempt to keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage alive.
The team will conclude their group-stage campaign against Korea DPR on Friday, October 23.
Under the tournament’s qualification rules, the top two teams in each group, alongside the four best third-placed sides, will advance to the Round of 16.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Real Madrid have called for the immediate resignation of LaLiga president Javier Tebas after he compared the club’s communication strategy to propaganda methods employed by Nazi Germany.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Spanish football giants made the demand in an official statement published on their X account on Friday, October 16, describing Tebas’s comments as “absolutely intolerable and extraordinarily serious”.

“Real Madrid CF considers it absolutely intolerable and extraordinarily serious that someone holding two positions of utmost responsibility in Spanish football resorts to a comparison with the propaganda methods of the Nazi regime to discredit our club, its management, and its television,” the statement read.

Tebas, who also serves as vice-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, made the remarks on social media while criticising Real Madrid’s management and its television channel, Real Madrid TV.

He accused the club of coordinating its public communications to push a preferred narrative, repeatedly highlight grievances, encourage suspicion and portray certain individuals or institutions as enemies.

The LaLiga chief said the strategy “recalls propaganda mechanisms that Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany, exploited: systematic repetition, construction of an enemy, and subordination of facts to the narrative”.

Tebas subsequently clarified that his comparison was directed at communication techniques rather than Nazi ideology or Real Madrid supporters.

However, Real Madrid rejected the distinction, insisting that the remarks were deeply offensive and inappropriate for an individual occupying senior positions in Spanish football.

The club further described the comments as “yet another episode in the repeated attacks by Javier Tebas against Real Madrid, its president, and its media outlets”.

Real Madrid Raises Negreira Case

The dispute has also renewed attention on the Negreira case, which involves payments made by Barcelona over several years to a company linked to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee.

Real Madrid said it had approached UEFA directly to request a comprehensive investigation into the payments, arguing that the relevant institutions in which Tebas holds senior positions had failed to provide an adequate response.

“It is especially concerning that Tebas uses these statements to question the legitimate actions of Real Madrid and Real Madrid TV in relation to the Negreira case,” the club said.

The statement added that the club had turned to UEFA because of what it considered an insufficient response from the institutions responsible for addressing the matter.

Real Madrid also called for a comprehensive reform of the refereeing system and the structures of the relevant football federation.

The club argued that Tebas’s conduct demonstrated “a lack of neutrality, respect, and impartiality incompatible with his institutional responsibilities”.

It further maintained that his remarks “disqualify him institutionally from continuing to hold the positions he occupies”.

“Consequently, Real Madrid demands his immediate resignation as president of LaLiga and vice-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation,” the statement concluded.