Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will discover their opponents for the group stage of the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship on Thursday when the tournament draw is conducted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The ceremony will take place at the Stade du 04 Août, where the organisers will also conduct the draw for the second edition of the WAFU B U-17 Girls’ Cup.
The draw will provide Nigeria’s U-17 men’s national team with a clearer picture of the route they must navigate at the regional championship as preparations continue for the competition.
The Golden Eaglets have been using their training programme in Abuja to sharpen their squad ahead of the tournament. The team, led by coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere, stepped up its preparations with two friendly matches during the previous weekend.
The Nigerian youngsters faced Simonben Academy of Kaduna and Galadima FC in separate warm-up fixtures as part of the technical team’s efforts to assess the players and improve their readiness for the regional competition.
The friendly matches form part of the team’s build-up as the Eaglets prepare for a tournament that carries significance beyond the WAFU B regional title. The championship will also function as the qualifying competition for the 2027 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.
That qualification pathway makes the group-stage draw particularly important for Nigeria, with the Eaglets set to learn the opponents standing between them and progression in the competition.
Burkina Faso has been selected as the host country for the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship, with the tournament scheduled to run from October 4 to 17.
The Golden Eaglets are consequently entering the final stages of their preparations before travelling for the competition. Their ongoing training programme and recent friendly matches are intended to put the squad in competitive shape before the tournament begins.
While the men’s draw will determine Nigeria’s immediate group-stage assignments, the same Thursday ceremony will also establish the groups for the women’s U-17 competition.
Seven countries are listed to participate in the second edition of the WAFU B U-17 Girls’ Cup. They are Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, hosts Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Niger Republic.
The participation of the seven nations will make Thursday’s ceremony an important event for both regional youth competitions, as teams prepare to begin their respective campaigns.
For Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, attention will be firmly focused on the men’s draw and the challenge presented by whichever opponents they are paired with. The team will have only a limited period between the draw and the start of the championship to fine-tune its tactical plans.
Coach Uwejamomere’s side will therefore continue its preparations in Abuja while awaiting the outcome of the ceremony. The recent fixtures against Simonben Academy and Galadima FC have provided additional competitive exposure as the coaching staff works toward selecting and preparing the final squad.
The Eaglets’ objective will be to arrive in Burkina Faso ready for a tournament that offers both regional honours and an opportunity to progress toward the continental U-17 championship.
With the WAFU B competition scheduled for October 4–17, Thursday’s draw will mark another significant stage in Nigeria’s preparations for the tournament.
The Golden Eaglets will know their group opponents after the ceremony at Stade du 04 Août, setting the stage for the next phase of their preparation ahead of the championship in Burkina Faso.
2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship: Golden Eaglets Await Group-Stage Draw
