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As a result of redesigned format by CAF, Five-time world champions, Golden Eaglets, will face arch rivals Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in the qualifiers for next year’s U17 AFCON.
The U17 qualifiers will now be played on zonal basis, after which a final tournament will be staged in Tanzania.
The Eaglets will thus have to first slug it out of their West African zone, which has dominated this age-grade with the likes of Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire even holding their own at the world stage.
Nigeria are in CAF Zone West B, which also has Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Niger, Ghana, Togo and Burkina Faso.
CAF said that Ghana will host the West B Zone qualifiers and Burundi will stage the Central-East Zone.
Overall winners of these zonal qualifiers will advance automatically for the tournament proper in Tanzania next year.
Last year, Niger eliminated Nigeria from the previous U17 AFCON in Rwanda.
Most of the qualifiers will kick off after the 2018 World Cup in Russia in June.
the first phase of the Eaglets Class of 2019 screening will end on Friday in Abuja, by coach Manu Garba.
