Six major competitions Nigeria is set to miss in 2027

Qualification failures involving the Super Falcons, Flying Eagles, Golden Eaglets and Super Sand Eagles have left Nigeria facing a disappointing year across women’s football, youth competitions and beach soccer. The setbacks cut across women’s football, men’s youth football and beach soccer, raising fresh concerns about Nigeria’s competitiveness across different levels of the game. The affected competitions include the

2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, the FIFA U-17 World Cup and the Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations.

The latest disappointment came on Saturday when the Golden Eaglets were eliminated from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso after playing out a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire. Nigeria needed a victory to keep their hopes of advancing to the semi-finals alive but failed to secure the required result following an earlier defeat to Niger Republic. Their elimination also ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Meanwhile, the Super Sand Eagles suffered another qualification setback last weekend after losing 10-7 on aggregate to Ghana in their two-legged Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie. Nigeria had drawn the first leg 3-3 at home before suffering a 7-4 defeat in the return fixture in Keta, Ghana, allowing the Black Sharks to secure qualification for the continental tournament. Here are the six major international competitions Nigeria is set to miss in 2027.

1. FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027

Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will miss the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil after failing to secure qualification through the relevant African qualification process. The development represents a major disappointment for the nine-time African champions, who had hoped to build on their impressive performance at the 2023 edition in Australia and New Zealand. At the 2023 tournament, the Super Falcons progressed to the round of 16 before losing to England on penalties. Nigeria’s women’s team subsequently reaffirmed its continental dominance by winning the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Buy Maps However, their failure to qualify for the 2027 global showpiece means the Super Falcons will be absent from a tournament they have featured in at every edition since its inception in 1991. Their absence would represent a significant setback for Nigerian women’s football, given the team’s history and status as one of Africa’s most successful national sides.

2. U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2027

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will miss the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations after failing to secure qualification through the WAFU-B regional competition. The Nigerian side suffered a 4-1 defeat to Burkina Faso in the final of the WAFU-B U-20 Championship in August, with Burkina Faso and tournament hosts Ghana securing qualification for the continental tournament. The defeat ended Nigeria’s hopes of advancing to the next stage of the qualification process and competing for the African title. The Flying Eagles have a rich history in the competition, having won the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in 1983 and 1985. Their absence from the 2027 edition will deny another generation of Nigerian players the opportunity to compete for continental honours and gain valuable experience against some of Africa’s leading youth teams. It also raises questions about the consistency of Nigeria’s youth development system and its ability to prepare teams for major qualifying competitions.

3. FIFA U-20 World Cup 2027

The Flying Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations also means Nigeria will miss the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The continental championship serves as the qualification pathway for African representatives at the global youth tournament. With Nigeria failing to progress through the WAFU-B qualification process, the country will be absent from another edition of the competition. The setback is particularly disappointing given Nigeria’s impressive history at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The Flying Eagles have finished runners-up twice, in 1989 and 2005, losing to Portugal and Argentina, respectively. Nigeria also reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 edition in Argentina, where they were eliminated by South Korea. Missing the 2027 tournament will deprive the country’s emerging football talents of an important platform to compete against some of the world’s best young players and attract the attention of international clubs.

4. U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2027

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will also miss the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations following their elimination from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso. The five-time world champions entered Saturday’s decisive encounter against Côte d’Ivoire needing a victory to keep their qualification hopes alive. However, the encounter ended in a 1-1 draw, following their opening defeat to Niger Republic, leaving Nigeria unable to advance to the semi-finals. The outcome represents another disappointment for a team that has historically been one of Africa’s most successful sides at youth level. Nigeria’s failure to progress means the Golden Eaglets will miss another opportunity to compete for the continental title and secure qualification for the global U-17 championship. The latest setback also extends the team’s absence from the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, having missed the previous two editions, according to the information available for this report. The repeated qualification failures are likely to intensify scrutiny of Nigeria’s youth football development, particularly scouting, coaching, preparation and grassroots competitions.

5. FIFA U-17 World Cup 2027

The Golden Eaglets’ failure to qualify for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations has also ended Nigeria’s hopes of featuring at the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. African teams qualify for the global competition through the relevant continental qualification process, leaving Nigeria without a route to the tournament following their elimination from the WAFU-B championship. Nigeria remains the most successful country in the history of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, having won the title five times in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015. The Golden Eaglets have also finished runners-up on three occasions, establishing Nigeria as a traditional powerhouse in youth football. However, their last appearance at the tournament came in 2019 in Brazil, where they reached the round of 16 before losing 3-1 to the Netherlands. Their anticipated absence from the 2027 edition would extend a difficult period for a team once renowned for consistently producing competitive sides on the global stage. It also raises concerns about Nigeria’s ability to identify, nurture and prepare emerging talents for international competitions.

6. Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations 2027

Nigeria’s Super Sand Eagles will also miss the 2027 Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations after losing their qualifying tie against Ghana. The Nigerian side entered the decisive return leg with qualification still within reach after drawing 3-3 in the first leg at home. However, the Super Sand Eagles suffered a 7-4 defeat in Keta, Ghana, giving the Black Sharks a 10-7 aggregate victory and securing their place at the continental finals. The result was another setback for Nigerian beach soccer, which has previously enjoyed success at the African level. The Super Sand Eagles won the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in 2016 and finished runners-up in 2018, demonstrating their capacity to compete among the continent’s leading teams. Their failure to qualify for the 2027 tournament will deny Nigeria another opportunity to challenge for continental honours and rebuild its standing in the discipline. The defeat also highlights the need for sustained investment, adequate preparation and competitive exposure if the team is to return to the top of African beach soccer.

Nigerian Football Faces Fresh Questions

The prospect of missing six major international competitions in 2027 represents a difficult period for Nigerian football. The setbacks span three distinct areas of the game: senior women’s football, men’s youth football and beach soccer. While the Super Falcons’ absence from the Women’s World Cup would affect Nigeria’s representation at the highest level of women’s football, the failures of the Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets highlight challenges in the country’s youth development pathway. The Super Sand Eagles’ elimination adds another concern, demonstrating that Nigeria’s qualification difficulties extend beyond the traditional 11-a-side game. International competitions provide opportunities for players to gain experience, improve their technical abilities and attract interest from professional clubs. They also offer national federations opportunities to assess their development programmes against international standards. For the Nigeria Football Federation, the qualification setbacks present an opportunity to review the structures supporting the various national teams, including coaching, scouting, preparation, funding and grassroots development. Nigeria has a proud history in international football, particularly in youth competitions, but past achievements alone cannot guarantee future success. A coordinated approach involving the NFF, state football associations, clubs, academies and other stakeholders will be essential if the country is to restore its competitiveness and prevent further disappointments in upcoming qualification campaigns.