Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets suffered a disappointing start to their campaign at the WAFU B U-17 Championship after losing 2-1 to Niger Republic on Wednesday night.

The defeat leaves the Nigerian youngsters at the bottom of Group A without a point, increasing the pressure on head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere’s side as they pursue qualification for the knockout stages.

Niger took the lead in the 19th minute through Abdoul Razaq Zada, who capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Nigeria’s Mutiu Adedayo. Zada found the net after Adedayo fumbled a cross inside his penalty area, allowing the Niger forward to put his team ahead.

The early goal gave Niger an advantage and left the Golden Eaglets with the task of finding a response. Nigeria struggled to overturn the deficit and faced a further setback late in the contest when Niger extended their lead.

Abdoul Rakilou scored Niger’s second goal four minutes from time, putting his side in a strong position to secure victory. The strike appeared to have settled the contest, leaving the Golden Eaglets needing a late response to avoid defeat.

Nigeria managed to pull a goal back deep into stoppage time through Mubarak Fasiu. However, the late effort came too late to change the outcome, as Niger held on to claim a 2-1 victory.

The result represents an early setback for the Golden Eaglets, who must now focus on their remaining group fixtures if they are to keep their hopes of progressing alive.

Niger, meanwhile, strengthened their position in Group A by moving to four points from two matches. Their tally secured a place in the semi-finals, making them the first team in the group to advance to the knockout stage.

Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire will now compete for the remaining qualification spot from the group. Côte d’Ivoire have one point after drawing 1-1 with Niger, leaving both sides with work to do as the group-stage contest continues.

For the Golden Eaglets, the defeat means there is little room for further mistakes. The team will need to improve its performance and make the most of its remaining opportunity to collect points and challenge for qualification.

The loss to Niger also highlights the importance of avoiding costly errors, particularly after Adedayo’s handling of the cross led directly to the opening goal. Although Fasiu’s late strike offered a response, Nigeria could not recover from the two goals conceded.

With Niger already through to the semi-finals, attention now turns to the battle between Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire for the final knockout-stage ticket in Group A. The Golden Eaglets must respond quickly to keep their tournament ambitions alive.