Golden Eaglets open camp as Nigeria begin quest for 2027 U-17 AFCON return

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have officially commenced preparations for the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Boys Championship after opening a training camp in Abuja, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are targeting a return to continental football for the country's cadet team following two disappointing qualification campaigns.

The camp, which is taking place in the Federal Capital Territory, serves as the first major step in Nigeria’s bid to qualify for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Training sessions are being held at the Goal Project Pitch inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, where invited players are currently undergoing intensive screening and assessment.

The NFF has assembled a new technical crew to lead the rebuilding process. Eboboritse Uwejamomere, recently appointed as head coach of the Golden Eaglets, is overseeing the exercise alongside assistant coaches Olumide Ajibolade, Mohammed Kachala and Abdullahi Isa.

The federation hopes the new coaching team can restore the fortunes of a side that has struggled to maintain its dominance in recent years despite Nigeria’s status as a five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champion.

Golden Eaglets: New era begins with qualification target

The Abuja camp is the beginning of a new chapter for the Golden Eaglets following a major restructuring of the NFF’s youth national teams. Uwejamomere replaced long-serving youth coach Manu Garba as part of the federation’s effort to revive Nigeria’s youth football programme.

The new coach arrives with an impressive background in player development. He holds a UEFA A Licence, a UEFA Elite Youth A Licence and a Master’s degree in Advanced Performance Football Coaching from the University of South Wales. He has previously worked as a coach-analyst with both the Super Eagles and Super Falcons, while also serving within the NFF Technical Directorate.

Before his appointment, Uwejamomere was Head of Academy at Sporting Lagos FC and had coaching spells with Stormers FC in Abeokuta as well as youth development roles at English clubs Millwall, Gillingham and Nottingham Forest.

His immediate task is to build a competitive squad capable of navigating the WAFU B Championship, the tournament that serves as the qualifying route to the 2027 U-17 AFCON.

The pressure on the new coaching crew is considerable. Nigeria have failed to qualify for the last two editions of the U-17 AFCON, a slump that has also kept the country out of consecutive FIFA U-17 World Cups.

In September 2025, the Golden Eaglets reached the semi-finals of the WAFU B tournament in Côte d’Ivoire but suffered a painful 2-0 defeat to Ghana. Although they recovered to beat Burkina Faso 2-0 and finish third, only the two finalists earned AFCON tickets, leaving Nigeria out of the continental competition.

A similar story unfolded in 2024 when the Eaglets again missed out on qualification after falling short before the final. They defeated Ghana 3-2 in the third-place playoff to claim bronze but failed to secure one of the available AFCON slots.

The last time Nigeria featured at the U-17 AFCON was in Algeria in 2023. The team reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Burkina Faso, missing out on qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.