Nigeria’s hopes of competing at the 2025 CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco have been officially dashed, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirming that the Golden Eaglets did not qualify.
The five-time world champions, who have made a record ten appearances at the tournament, fell short in the qualifiers.
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Manu Garba’s side finished third at the WAFU B U17 Championship last year, securing a 3-2 victory over Ghana to claim the bronze medal. However, only the top two teams from the regional qualifiers earned automatic spots for Morocco 2025, leaving Nigeria out of contention.
In recent weeks, there was speculation that Golden Eaglets could still qualify if CAF expanded the tournament to 16 teams, following FIFA’s decision to increase Africa’s U17 World Cup slots.
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However, CAF put an end to those hopes on Monday, confirming that the U17 AFCON will retain its 12-team format.
FIFA’s recent decision at its Bangkok Congress to expand the U17 World Cup to 48 teams, increasing Africa’s representation to 10, had led many to believe that CAF would adjust its qualification process to allow more teams.
However, the governing body has opted to maintain its current format, ensuring that only the best-performing nations from the regional qualifiers will make it to Morocco.
As a result, Nigeria, despite its rich history in youth football, will not be among the teams competing at the continental tournament.
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The TotalEnergies CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 is scheduled to run from March 30 to April 19, serving as the pathway for teams aiming to qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar later that year. The tournament draw is expected to take place later this month.
