Adepoju shocked as Nigeria miss 2027 U-17 AFCON and World Cup

Former Nigeria forward Mutiu Adepoju says it is “shocking” that the Golden Eaglets will not feature at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, with the failure also ending their hopes of reaching the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

The 2027 U-17 AFCON is scheduled to take place in Morocco between April and May 2027. Nigeria’s absence from the continental tournament means the team will also miss the World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar.

Adepoju, 55, said the setback was particularly painful because of Nigeria’s long record of success in youth football. The Golden Eaglets have won the U-17 AFCON twice, in 2001 and 2007, while Nigeria have lifted the FIFA U-17 World Cup a record five times, in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.

“It’s shocking. It’s hard to believe that the Golden Eaglets were unable to qualify for the 2027 U-17 AFCON,” said Adepoju, who was known as ‘Headmaster’ during his playing career.

“Not playing in the U-17 AFCON also translates to missing the bigger stage, the U-17 World Cup in Qatar next year.

“What went wrong? I don’t know. I’m not with the team, but no matter how you look at it, it pains me to see Nigeria out of the youth tournament.

“The U-17, U-20 and even the U-23 tournaments are competitions Nigeria has dominated over the decades. Losing our grip at this stage means we are not doing what we are supposed to do. We have remained stagnant, paving the way for other countries to overtake us.

“How do you explain a situation where ten teams are supposed to represent the African continent and Nigeria won’t be one of them?”

WAFU-B defeat ends Nigeria’s qualification hopes

The Golden Eaglets were eliminated in the group stage of the WAFU-B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso.

Nigeria began their Group B campaign with a 2-1 defeat by Niger Republic before drawing 1-1 with Cote d’Ivoire in their final group match. Those results ruled them out of the 2027 CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and, as a result, the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

Adepoju, a former Racing de Santander forward in Spain and former general manager of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), Ibadan, said Nigeria’s recent disappointments had compounded the frustration.

“We’re still lamenting the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals we missed. Then came the U-20 AFCON, and the FIFA World Cup finals slipped through our fingers. Now, the U-17 AFCON and World Cup opportunities have also vanished. It’s too painful,” he said.

Qatar will host the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup, with 48 teams due to take part. The Asian nation is scheduled to stage three consecutive editions of the tournament in 2025, 2027 and 2029.

Nigeria also failed to qualify for the 2025 edition in Qatar, leaving the Golden Eaglets with another missed opportunity to compete at global level.