Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have arrived in Burkina Faso ahead of the 2026 WAFU-B U17 Championship, which kicks off on Saturday, October 10.
The five-time world champions departed Abuja on Tuesday for Ouagadougou, the Burkinabè capital, where they will compete for regional honours in the tournament scheduled to run from October 10 to 23.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), through its official social media handle, confirmed the team’s arrival in Burkina Faso on Wednesday as the Eaglets stepped up preparations for the competition.
“The Golden Eaglets have arrived Burkina Faso for the #U17WAFUB tournament,” the NFF posted.
The young Nigerians travelled to Burkina Faso with their sights firmly set on making a strong impression at the regional championship and securing a place among the continent’s leading youth sides.
The WAFU-B U17 Championship remains an important platform for Nigeria’s junior national team, providing the Eaglets with an opportunity to test their strength against some of the best young teams in the sub-region while also laying the foundation for future international competition.
Nigeria’s participation in the tournament comes after an intensive period of preparations at home, with the technical crew working to build a balanced squad capable of competing at the highest level.
The Eaglets will now settle into their base in Ouagadougou before turning their attention fully to their opening assignment.
The tournament is expected to attract strong competition from the other West African nations in the WAFU-B zone, with the participating teams looking to use the championship as a pathway towards continental qualification.
Nigeria’s rich pedigree at youth level will also place considerable expectations on the team. The Eaglets are five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions and have traditionally been one of Africa’s most successful sides in age-grade football.
However, the team will be expected to put its history aside and focus on the task at hand, with the tournament likely to provide a stern test of the players’ tactical discipline, physical readiness and ability to perform under pressure.
The coaching crew will also use the competition to assess the development of the players and identify those capable of carrying Nigeria’s youth football ambitions forward.