Golden Eaglets coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has widened his search for talent, calling 62 players into camp as Nigeria try to end a run of missed U17 tournaments.
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Golden Eaglets head coach Uwejamomere Eboboritse has called up 62 players to camp in Abuja, kicking off the screening and training process that will shape Nigeria’s squad for this year’s WAFU B U17 Championship.
The provisional group breaks down into five goalkeepers, 18 defenders, 20 midfielders and 19 forwards, drawn from clubs and football academies across the country. Eboboritse is running the screening exercise alongside assistant coaches Olumide Ajibolade, Mohammed Kachala and goalkeeping trainer Abdullahi Isa.
There’s real pressure behind this rebuild. The tournament doubles as qualification for the 2027 Africa U17 Cup of Nations, and Nigeria have missed the last three editions of that competition, a drought that has also automatically shut the Golden Eaglets out of three consecutive FIFA U17 World Cups.
Eboboritse only took charge in May 2026, replacing long-serving youth coach Manu Garba, and arrives with a modern coaching pedigree, holding a UEFA A Licence, a UEFA Elite Youth A Licence and a Master’s degree in Advanced Performance Football Coaching from the University of South Wales. Fans following Nigeria’s youth football rebuild can check Bet9ja’s current promo code ahead of the WAFU B qualifiers.
The last WAFU B campaign ended painfully. Nigeria reached the semifinals in September 2025 but lost 2-0 to Ghana, a result that ended their hopes of reaching the 2026 U17 AFCON, before recovering to beat Burkina Faso 2-0 in the third place play off.
Form heading into this new camp has been mixed. A recent trip to China for an international youth tournament produced no wins at all, a 3-2 defeat to Tanzania, a 4-2 loss to Australia and a 1-1 draw with hosts China, though the squad had looked sharper in home friendlies beforehand, scoring nine goals and conceding just once across wins over Sporting Dreams and Unicorn FC and a draw with P Sports FC. New Bet9ja users tracking the Golden Eaglets can also check how to get the Bet9ja promotion code before the tournament gets underway.
Much of the current pool has been shaped by Nigeria’s grassroots pipeline rather than existing club reputations. A large share of the players in camp came through last year’s FIFA Talent Development Scheme U15 programme, reflecting the NFF’s push to build the squad from a more structured development base rather than relying purely on scouting reports.
Whatever squad Eboboritse settles on will carry a heavy legacy into the tournament. Nigeria remain five time FIFA U17 World Cup champions, more than any other nation in the competition’s history, and the WAFU B tournament itself is set for Burkina Faso later this year. Bettors wanting to follow the Golden Eaglets’ qualifying push can check Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code as the squad takes shape.
For now, the priority is simply narrowing 62 hopefuls down to a squad capable of ending Nigeria’s run of near misses at this level and getting the Golden Eaglets back on the continental and global stage where they’ve historically belonged.
📌 Did You Know?
- Nigeria’s five FIFA U17 World Cup titles are more than any other country has won at that level.
- The Golden Eaglets’ most recent World Cup triumphs came in 2013 and 2015.
- Camp training is being held at the Goal Project Pitch inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
- Eboboritse Uwejamomere described his appointment as head coach as “a dream come true” when it was announced in May 2026.
- The squad in camp features players from clubs and academies spread across states including Lagos, Kano, Kwara and Edo.
- Nigeria’s win over Burkina Faso in the last WAFU B third place play off came despite having already been eliminated from AFCON contention.
- The China trip marked the Golden Eaglets’ first international tour under Eboboritse since his appointment.
