Former Super Eagles coach, Dutch-born Johannes Bonfrere, has lamented what he described as the “fast-falling” state of football in Nigeria, saying it is a shame that Nigeria will not feature at the 2027 CAF U-20 AFCON and could also risk missing the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals billed for Brazil, Completesports.com reports.
Bonfrere, who guided Nigeria U-23s to win the men’s football gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and helped the Super Eagles to a silver-medal finish at the 2000 AFCON in Lagos, spoke on Sunday night moments after Burkina Faso thrashed the Flying Eagles 4-1 in the final of the WAFU B Championship in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
Nigeria’s 2027 U-20 AFCON, Women’s World Cup Failures Sadden Bonfrere
The result ruled Nigeria out of the 2027 CAF U-20 AFCON and, consequently, the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
“It’s sad, shameful that Nigeria is going down in football despite the huge talents it has,” Bonfrere said when he exclusively spoke to Completesports.com after the match.
“Burkina Faso defeating Nigeria 4-1, that’s too painful. Super Eagles not in 2026 World Cup. Flying Eagles not going to CAF U-20 AFCON, and possibly 2027 FIFA World Cup.
“Super Falcons not going to Women’s World Cup in Brazil. That’s too bad. The Federation (NFF) not responding to my desire through the media to have me so I can teach the coaches in the various national teams.
“I feel bad that all these [failures] are happening to Nigeria — losing to Burkina Faso, first 0-2 and now 1-4. Super Falcons, who are Africa’s most respected women’s team, now looking like beginners,” Bonfrere lamented.
Burkina Faso, who had defeated the Flying Eagles 2-0 in their opening Group B match of the WAFU B Championship in Cote d’Ivoire, defeated Nigeria 4-1 in the final in Yamoussoukro on Sunday to win the tournament and secure the U-20 AFCON ticket.
The result means Nigeria will not be at the 2027 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and will consequently miss the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
2027 Women’s World Cup: Super Falcons Hope For Intercontinental Opportunity
Similarly, Africa’s most successful women’s team, Nigeria’s Super Falcons, were eliminated by Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses in the quarter-finals of WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
Also Read: Super Falcons Battle South Africa For World Cup Playoff Spot
The Cameroonians prevailed 1-0 over a lacklustre Super Falcons, denying them a place in the semi-finals. Nigeria will now face South Africa’s Banyana Banyana on Thursday 13 August in Casablanca, for a place in the intercontinental play-offs, for a possible ticket to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Sunday’s triumph by Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses was their sixth win over the Super Falcons in 26 meetings, with Nigeria having won 12 times and eight encounters ending in draws.
2 Comments
Please why this man can’t leave Nigeria and our teams alone, every time super eagles this super eagles that, what exactly has him done to Nigeria, he instead took Westerhof team to Olympic 96,lead us to lose to Cameroun in the final at home, please oga go and take care of your Holland team because they’re not doing better
The man is too old now and may be suffering from “Dementia” He doesn’t even know that coaching has gone “digital,” since the 1990s when the “white mercenaries” of their times robbed Africans blind in the name of white supremacy coaches, with nothing to show for it. Yes he won an Olympic gold medal for Nigeria in Atlanta 96- but that was eons ago, when many African nation were still in darkness and have not started investing in football like Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon did.
Ghana cant even win an Afcon since her 4th edition in 1982. Yep, they were also age-cheating competitions that they won- never Fifa world cup or anything like it- whether male or female. Bottom line, Africans are catching up in football; Nigeria cannot have monopoly of winning WAFCON titles. If they won one just last year, no one in his/her right mind should cry wolf or weep about “declining Nigerian football” because we could not win this year.
Even the U20 he seems to be crying more than the bereaved, Nigeria won the Afcon bronze 2 years ago and were at the U20 Fifa world cup last year 2025. What will Ghana and Ivory Coast be crying, blood? Because same Nigerian u20 beat Ghana 4-2 and also beat Ivory Coast U20 this WAFU B tournament just finished yesterday. NFF and Pinnick should be clamouring to Motsepe and CAF to stop the ill-treatment of West African Nations at the age-grade tournaments where only one nation can qualify out of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, Nigeria etc- closing out the best African youth teams perpetually from Afcon and Fifa age-grade competitions.