Manu Garba under fire after golden eagles crash by Wafu B U-17

The Nigeria Golden Eaglets have suffered another important setback in the international stage after leaving the Wafu Zone B U-17 championship with a 2-0 defeat against Ghana in the semifinal.

The result not only ends with its hopes of lifting the regional trophy, but also discards the golden eagles of the U-17 2026 Africa Cup.

This last failure adds to a worrying trend in Nigeria’s youth football.

The five times winners of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, considered the most successful team in the history of competition, will now lose consecutive appearances in the U-17 World Cup.

The Golden Eaglets could not qualify for the U-17 2023 World Cup in Indonesia, and this exit deepens the concerns about the country’s talent development structure.

Much of the criticisms have been addressed to chief coach Manu Garba, who has now supervised two failed qualification campaigns.

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Despite his history of success with Nigeria’s youth teams, Garba is under increasing scrutiny, with many fans and analysts who ask for changes at the top.

Critics argue that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not acted decisively, keeping a coach who has not delivered results.

With Nigeria missing consecutive global youth tournaments, questions about the long -term impact on the development of the players and the future talent pipe for the senior national team are being asked.

The pressure in both Manu Garba and the NFF is growing, since expectations continue to exceed actions.