Nigeria is set to miss five major international football competitions in 2027 following qualification setbacks involving the Super Falcons, Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets.
The setbacks affect the senior women’s national team and the country’s men’s youth sides, with Nigeria failing to secure places at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U-20 World Cup, among other tournaments.
The Golden Eaglets’ elimination from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship after a 1-1 draw with Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday also ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Here are five major competitions Nigeria will 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 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign and subsequent qualification playoffs.
The setback is a blow to the nine-time African champions, who had hoped to return to the global tournament following their round-of-16 appearance at the 2023 edition in Australia and New Zealand.
2. U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2027
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will be absent from the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations after failing to qualify through the WAFU-B regional tournament.
The team suffered a 4-1 defeat to Burkina Faso in the WAFU-B U-20 Championship final in August, with Burkina Faso securing qualification alongside tournament hosts Ghana.
Missing the continental competition will deny Nigeria another opportunity to challenge for the title and compete for a place at the global youth tournament.
3. FIFA U-20 World Cup 2027
The Flying Eagles’ failure to qualify for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations also means Nigeria will miss the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The continental tournament serves as the qualification pathway for African nations seeking places at the global competition.
Nigeria, a two-time runner-up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, will therefore be absent from the next edition after failing to progress through the regional qualification process.
4. U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2027
The 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.
Nigeria needed a victory against Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday to keep their qualification hopes alive but managed only a 1-1 draw.
The result followed an opening defeat to Niger Republic, leaving the Nigerian team unable to advance to the semi-finals.
The latest setback extends Nigeria’s absence from the continental tournament, having also missed the previous two editions.
5. FIFA U-17 World Cup 2027
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations has also ended the Golden Eaglets’ hopes of featuring at the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.
Nigeria has won the competition five times, making it the most successful country in the tournament’s history.
However, the latest regional qualification failure means the team will miss another edition of the global competition. The Golden Eaglets last participated in 2019, when they reached the round of 16 in Brazil.
The absence of the three national teams from these competitions highlights a challenging period for Nigerian football, particularly at youth level, where the country has historically enjoyed considerable success.