Udeze Shocked As Golden Eaglets Suffer Shock Defeat To Niger Republic
Former Nigeria international Ifeanyi Udeze has expressed disbelief following the Golden Eaglets’ 2-1 defeat to Niger Republic in their opening Group B fixture at the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship.
The Nigerian youngsters suffered the setback after conceding twice before scoring a late consolation goal, leaving their hopes of reaching the semi-finals hanging in the balance.
Abdoul Razaq Zada opened the scoring for Niger in the 20th minute before Abdoul Rakilou doubled the advantage with four minutes remaining in regulation time.
Mubarak Fasiu pulled one back for Nigeria in stoppage time, but the Golden Eaglets could not find an equaliser as Niger held on for all three points.
Reacting to the defeat on BRILA FM, Udeze said he struggled to understand how Nigeria, a country blessed with abundant football talent, could lose to Niger Republic.
“I still can’t process it. I can’t believe the Golden Eaglets lost to a team like Niger Republic,” he said.
“We have talents all over the place. If you are talking about talents, they are everywhere in the country, so I find it hard to understand that we lost to Niger Republic.”
Niger have secured a place in the semi-finals with four points from two matches, having drawn 1-1 with Côte d’Ivoire in their opening fixture.
The Golden Eaglets must now defeat Côte d’Ivoire in their remaining group match to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
