Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will not feature at the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after their semi-final defeat to Ghana in Côte d’Ivoire, and head coach Manu Garba is calling for change.

The Eaglets fell 2-0 to the Black Starlets, a result that ended not just their AFCON dreams but also their chance to play at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which has now become an annual tournament.

Garba, who guided Nigeria to U-17 World Cup glory in 2013, voiced frustration with the current qualification system. He argued that WAFU Zone B — often considered the strongest region in African youth football — deserves more than the two slots it currently receives.

“WAFU B is the toughest region in Africa when it comes to youth football. We started with just one slot, then it was increased to two, but that’s still not enough,” Garba lamented. “Nigeria has won the U-17 World Cup five times, the most in history. It’s unfair for such a competitive region to keep getting limited slots, while other zones enjoy more representation.”

The veteran coach urged CAF to review the allocation system, stressing that restricting WAFU B harms the development of top youth talent across West Africa.