Niger stunned Nigeria with a 2-1 victory in their Group B encounter at the 2026 WAFU B U17 Championship at the August 4 Stadium in Ouagadougou on Wednesday.
The victory puts Niger in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals, having collected four points from their opening two matches in the competition.
Niger took the lead in the 19th minute through Abdoul Razak, who found the back of the net to give his side an early advantage in the keenly contested encounter.
Nigeria pushed for an equaliser but struggled to break down their opponents, with Niger remaining disciplined as they sought to protect their lead.
Abdoul Rakilou then doubled Niger’s advantage in the 86th minute, putting his side firmly in control of the contest. Substitute Mubarak Fasiu pulled one back for Nigeria during additional time, but his late effort proved insufficient to prevent defeat.
The result marks Niger’s second Group B fixture after their opening 1-1 draw against Ivory Coast. Nigeria, meanwhile, were playing their first match of the tournament, with the group featuring only three participating nations.
Niger now lead the Group B standings with four points, while Ivory Coast have one point and Nigeria sit at the bottom without a point.
Ivory Coast, who were on standby on Wednesday, will face Nigeria in the final group-stage match. The encounter will determine which of the two sides joins Niger in the semi-finals, provided Niger’s qualification position remains unchanged.
With one place still to be decided, the final Group B fixture promises to be crucial for both Ivory Coast and Nigeria as they battle to keep their hopes of progressing in the tournament alive.
The 2026 WAFU B U17 Championship also serves as the qualification tournament for the 2027 U17 AFCON.
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