Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been drawn alongside Côte d’Ivoire and Niger Republic in Group B of the WAFU B qualifiers for the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The qualifying tournament is scheduled to take place from October 10 to 23, with seven West African countries competing for places at the continental championship.
Nigeria will face familiar regional rivals Côte d’Ivoire and Niger in what promises to be a competitive three-team Group B.
Group A has hosts Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Ghana and Togo.
The draw gives the Golden Eaglets a clear picture of the task ahead as they begin preparations for another attempt to return to the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria have a rich history at youth level, with the Golden Eaglets winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup a record five times. However, recent qualification campaigns have underlined the increasing competitiveness of youth football in the WAFU B region.
The Eaglets will therefore need to negotiate their games against Côte d’Ivoire and Niger successfully to keep alive their ambition of reaching the continental tournament.
The WAFU B qualifiers will run from October 10 to 23, with the leading teams progressing to the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
WAFU B U-17 AFCON Qualifying Groups:
Group A: Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Ghana, Togo
Group B: Côte d’Ivoire, Niger Republic, Nigeria