Today’s match between the Golden Eaglets and hosts Black Starlets will take an added significance amid uncertainties how many teams will qualify from WAFU B to next year’s U17 AFCON.
Two years ago, the sub-region provided the two finalists for the 2023 U17 AFCON in Algeria.
However, with the expansion of the 2025 U17 FIFA World Cup to 48 teams, it is widely expected that Africa will now produce more than the four qualifiers previously.
CAF have yet to make an official pronouncement on this.
Both Nigeria and Ghana will therefore take today’s ‘Jollof Derby’ a lot more seriously as they could now sneak into next year’s U17 AFCON, whose hosts has also yet to be announced.
Both Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire deserved their place in today’s championship clash and are guaranteed their spots in the U17 AFCON.
It is now for the losing semifinalists to fight to give themselves a glimmer of hope they will get a second chance.
Kick-off is 4pm in Nigeria.
