Golden Eaglets coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has named a 25-man squad for the WAFU-B U17 Championship in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, a tournament that doubles as the zonal qualifier for next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed the list on Monday, saying the coach picked players he “believes will make Nigeria proud” in the Burkinabe capital.
The championship starts on Saturday, 10 October, but the five-time world champions don’t play their first match until 14 October. The squad was scheduled to leave Nigeria on Tuesday morning, which gives Eboboritse eight more days in Burkina Faso to work on tactical and technical conditioning before the group stage begins.
Goalkeepers 3
- Mutiu Adenle
- Abdulfatai Seriki
- Richard Oguama
Defenders 7
- Chinedu Nchoje
- Goodness Ukwubile
- Victor Ogbonna
- Daniel Dickson
- Chinonso Umenozie
- Jamiu Issa
- Daniel Agunzi
Midfielders 8
- Israel Irabor
- Adewolu Lukman
- Izuchukwu Ogboji
- Sochima Emeka
- Michael Ekundayo
- Al-Ameen Adegboya
- Saeed Hussaini
- Abubakar Abdulrasaq
Forwards 7
- Godswill Usoro
- Daniel Lawrence
- Chiedozie Igboenyobe
- Faruq Azeez
- David Fagbamila
- Mubarak Fasiu
- Abiodun John
25 players named
25 players named by head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere. The NFF did not publish club details with the list.
Golden Eaglets squad built on a deep midfield
Eboboritse has gone with three goalkeepers, seven defenders, eight midfielders and seven forwards. Mutiu Adenle, Abdulfatai Seriki and Richard Oguama will compete for the gloves, while the midfield group, which includes Israel Irabor, Sochima Emeka and Al-Ameen Adegboya, is the largest unit in the party. That balance suggests the coach wants options to control games in the middle rather than rely on a single system over a short, physically demanding tournament.
Up front, Godswill Usoro, Daniel Lawrence, Chiedozie Igboenyobe, Faruq Azeez, David Fagbamila, Mubarak Fasiu and Abiodun John give him seven attacking choices. Group games at zonal tournaments are often decided by one goal, so the depth in forward areas could matter as legs tire across the fixtures.
Who stands between Nigeria and a U17 AFCON ticket in Ouagadougou?
Nigeria are in Group B, with Niger Republic among their opponents, and the tournament draw also placed Côte d’Ivoire in the same pool. Hosts Burkina Faso lead Group A alongside Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic. With only three teams in Nigeria’s group, every result carries weight, and a slip in the opening game on 14 October would leave the Eaglets with very little room to recover.
| Host city | Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso |
|---|---|
| Tournament starts | Saturday, 10 October 2026 |
| Nigeria's first match | 14 October 2026 |
| Nigeria's group | Group B: Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger Republic |
| Group A | Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic |
| At stake | Qualification for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco |
The trip comes at a busy point for Nigeria’s age-grade sides. The U17 girls set the tone last month when the Flamingos won the WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup with a perfect record, and the boys will be expected to match that standard against neighbours they know well. The senior women are also in action this week, with the Super Falcons facing Comoros in their Olympic qualifier.
Why this tournament matters for the Golden Eaglets brand
Nigeria’s record at U17 level is the strongest in African football, and the Golden Eaglets have long been the country’s most reliable production line for senior internationals. Qualification for Morocco would keep this group on the path towards the FIFA U17 World Cup, while an early exit in Ouagadougou would cost a generation of players two years of top-level youth football. The NFF has not yet published the full fixture times for Nigeria’s group games, and SportCabal will update the schedule once it’s confirmed.
