Nigeria U-17 Football Team, the Golden Eaglets will face hosts, Ghana will in the third-place playoff of the ongoing WAFU B U-17 Championship at the University of Ghana Stadium on Tuesday.
Nigeria and Ghana missed out on direct qualification for the 2025 tournament after both were defeated in the semi-finals. Ghana lost 2-1 to Burkina Faso, while Ivory Coast edged Nigeria 1-0.
Despite these setbacks, both teams hope there might still be additional spots for the U-17 AFCON, as the Confederation of African Football are yet to confirm the number of qualifying teams from the zone for the continental event.
With the West African Football Union also unable to provide clarity on the number of teams advancing to the 2025 Africa U-17 AFCON from WAFU B, Mohammed Sanusi, the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, urged the Golden Eaglets to give their best against the hosts.
“We are still awaiting clarity on the number of teams that will qualify for the U-17 AFCON from this tournament. Some people have said only three teams; some said four teams. It is therefore important that our boys go out there and play their hearts out to finish in third place.
“The Black Starlets will not be an easy ride. They are the home side, and they will bank on the support of the fans. But our boys have what it takes to achieve victory.”
The third-place match kicks off at 3 pm Ghanaian time (4 pm Nigerian time) at the University of Ghana Stadium, preceding the final match between Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, which starts at 6 pm Ghanaian time (7 pm Nigerian time).
