Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets win again as WAFU-B U17 hosting rights shift to Ivory Coast

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets continued their build-up to the 2025 WAFU-B U17 Championship with back-to-back friendlies over the weekend, stretching their impressive run of form in Abuja, Soccernet.ng reports.

The five-time world champions kicked off on Friday against Darazo Football Academy of Bauchi. After a cagey first half, the Eaglets’ quality showed after the break as they struck twice to seal a 2-0 win.

Less than 24 hours later, Manu Garba’s boys faced Gombe U17 in testing rainy conditions. Both sides carved out openings but neither found the breakthrough, with the match ending goalless.

The two fixtures bring the Eaglets’ preparatory record to 11 games — nine wins, one draw, and a single defeat — as the team continues to put I the hard work ahead of the regional competition.

Their focus now turns fully to the WAFU-B tournament, which was initially scheduled for Nigeria but has reportedly been shifted to Ivory Coast due to delays in renovation at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.

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Renovation works at the Stadium forced Remo Stars to shift their base to the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta where the reigning champions played a thrilling 1-1 draw with Rivers United on matchday one of the NPFL 2025-26 season.

The WAFU-B U17 competition will now run in Abidjan from 11 to 25 September.

Coach Manu Garba has been rotating his squad heavily in recent weeks, testing different tactical shapes and player combinations in an effort to finalise his selection before the team departs. His side will be aiming not just for regional dominance, but also to secure qualification for the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria remain the most successful nation in U17 football, but the country has failed to appear in the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup.

The Golden Eaglets also failed to qualify for the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations, having won the tournament twice in 2001 and 2007.