Eboboritse Uwejamomere, head coach of the Golden Eaglets, has publicly apologised to Nigerian fans after his side suffered a group stage exit at the 2026 WAFU B U-17 championship in Burkina Faso.

Nigeria's U-17 side were eliminated after failing to win their second group game — a 1-1 draw against Côte d'Ivoire on Saturday. The Eaglets had already fallen to a 2-1 defeat against Niger Republic in their opening fixture, leaving them needing a win to reach the semifinals.

The early exit carries serious long-term consequences. Because the WAFU B tournament served as qualification for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the Golden Eaglets will now miss that competition entirely — and with it, any chance of reaching the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Nigeria last appeared at the U-17 World Cup in 2019.

Coach's message to fans

Uwejamomere was candid about the mood in the camp. "Obviously, the first impressions are unhappiness, disappointment. Now we are out of the tournament and the bigger picture is that we won't go to the U-17 AFCON next year — we are unhappy and very disappointed overall," he said.

The coach offered perspective on the future of his young squad. "For my players — obviously young boys, 15, 16 year olds — they still have years ahead of them. This is like the first chapter of their career going into elite football. So it's just to learn from this and use this as an experience going forward."

Uwejamomere also addressed supporters directly, acknowledging the anger many fans feel. "For the fans back home, it's a bitter feeling — a lot of them probably hate us right now, but this is normal because they are proud Nigerians who want and expect us to win every game, every tournament. Back home I would feel disappointed too."

He closed with a heartfelt appeal: "The only thing I can say to them is to forgive us, because the disappointment they feel, I'm also feeling — my players are also feeling the same disappointment."