The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria won’t be competing at the upcoming CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, set to take place in Cote d’Ivoire next year.

Despite a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Ghana in the WAFU B U-17 Championship third-place match, the Eaglets’ dreams were dashed when the CAF clarified that only 12 finalists would participate in next year’s AFCON, rather than the anticipated 16 teams.

This means that despite their win, the Golden Eaglets will miss out on both the African Championship and the FIFA World Cup.

Qatar is set to host five consecutive FIFA U-17 World Cup finals starting next year, each featuring 48 teams.