Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets face Ghana’s Black Starlets tonight in a crucial WAFU-B U-17 semi-final.
The winner earns a 2026 AFCON ticket, with Nigeria chasing another continental return.
The Golden Eaglets will lock horns with Ghana’s Black Starlets today in the semi-final of the WAFU-B U-17 Championship taking place at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. The winner of the encounter will secure a ticket to the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria, five-time world champions at this level, head into the game in strong form. Coach Manu Garba’s boys began their campaign with a 4-1 win over Benin Republic before playing out a goalless draw with Burkina Faso, a result that left them top of Group B with four points. The team has scored four goals and conceded just once in the tournament so far.
Ghana, on the other hand, had to dig deep to reach this stage. They drew 1-1 with Togo in their opening match and then lost heavily to hosts Ivory Coast. Their hopes looked slim in their final group game against Niger Republic, but two late goals turned a 1-1 draw into a 3-1 win, sending them through to the semi-final.
The Eaglets have enjoyed recent success over the Black Starlets in this competition. They won 4-2 when both sides met in the opening game of the 2022 edition in Cape Coast, Ghana, and also edged them 3-2 in the third-place match of the last tournament held in Accra.
A victory tonight will not only put Nigeria in the final but also guarantee their return to the continental stage, after missing the 2025 edition and the expanded FIFA U-17 World Cup that followed.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time.
