Nigeria’s U-17 national team, the Golden Eaglets, have returned home after finishing third at the 2025 WAFU B U-17 Championship held in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.

The five-time world champions began the regional tournament in fine form, topping their group with four points. They opened with a commanding 4-1 win over Benin Republic before being held to a draw by Burkina Faso in their second group game.

However, their campaign hit a setback in the semifinals as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to arch-rivals Ghana, a loss that ended their hopes of qualifying for the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and denied them a place in the final.

Determined to finish strong, the Eaglets bounced back in the third-place playoff on Friday with a convincing 2-0 victory over Burkina Faso, securing the bronze medal and restoring pride to the Nigerian camp.

Despite their solid finish, both Nigeria and Burkina Faso missed out on qualification for the 2025 CAF U-17 AFCON, with the two finalists, Ghana and hosts Côte d’Ivoire, clinching the available slots.

The Golden Eaglets departed Yamoussoukro on Saturday night and arrived in Nigeria later that evening. Team officials say the players are expected to regroup soon as preparations begin for upcoming international assignments.