By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
Golden Eaglets head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has apologised to Nigerians following the team’s disappointing early exit from the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship.
Nigeria crashed out of the competition at the group stage after playing out a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire last Saturday.
The defeat to Niger Republic in their opening match, which ended 2-1, left the Golden Eaglets bottom of Group B with just one point from two games.
The early elimination also ended Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations, marking the second consecutive edition the country has failed to reach.
Reacting to the disappointing campaign, Uwejamomere admitted that the team was unhappy with its performance and understood the frustration of Nigerian football fans.
“Obviously, the first feeling is unhappiness and disappointment. We are out of the tournament, and the bigger picture is that we will not be going to the U-17 AFCON next year. We are unhappy and very disappointed overall,” he said.
The coach acknowledged that supporters back home would be angry with the team, noting that their expectations were understandable given Nigeria’s footballing reputation.
“For the fans back home, it is a bitter feeling. A lot of them probably hate us right now, but this is normal because they are fans and proud Nigerians. They want and expect us to win every game and every tournament. That is understandable, and I would feel disappointed too,” Uwejamomere added.
He appealed to the fans for forgiveness, stressing that the players and coaching staff shared in their disappointment over the team’s failure.
“The only thing I can say to them is to forgive us because the disappointment they feel is the same disappointment I am feeling. My players are also feeling that same disappointment,” he said.
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