Nigeria’s U-17 girls’s nationwide workforce, the Flamingos, have made historical past by successful the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s remaining in Rabat, Morocco. The victory on the Mohammed VI Football Complex secured Nigeria’s first title within the competitors and made the nation the primary……
Nigeria’s U-17 girls’s nationwide workforce, the Flamingos, have made historical past by successful the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s remaining in Rabat, Morocco. The victory on the Mohammed VI Football Complex secured Nigeria’s first title within the competitors and made the nation the primary African nation to carry the trophy. It additionally marked the primary time an African girls’s nationwide workforce has gained a FIFA World Cup title.
The Flamingos took the lead within the thirty ninth minute via Awawu Bashiru, whose effort from distance slipped via the arms of Japan goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki. Nigeria doubled their benefit simply two minutes into the second half when Oluebube Umejiaku managed an extended cross from Esther Stephen earlier than lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper. Japan lowered the deficit via Fuki Ito within the eightieth minute, establishing a tense end, however the Nigerian aspect held on to safe the historic 2-1 victory. Umejiaku was named Player of the Match.
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The triumph accomplished a exceptional marketing campaign for coach Akeem Busari’s aspect, who recovered from an opening-day defeat to win six consecutive matches and declare the title.
Here is the complete checklist of how the Flamingos reached the summit:
1. Nigeria 1-2 Poland – Group Stage
The Flamingos started their marketing campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland, leaving them beneath stress to safe optimistic ends in their remaining Group B fixtures.
Despite creating alternatives, Nigeria had been unable to keep away from defeat as Poland claimed all three factors of their opening encounter. The outcome meant the workforce needed to reply rapidly to maintain their qualification hopes alive.
2. Nigeria 2-0 Puerto Rico – Group Stage
Nigeria bounced again from their opening defeat with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico of their second group match.
The win gave the Flamingos their first three factors of the event and restored confidence forward of their decisive remaining group encounter towards defending champions DPR Korea.
3. Nigeria 3-1 DPR Korea – Group Stage
The Flamingos produced certainly one of their standout performances of the group stage by defeating two-time defending champions DPR Korea 3-1.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring within the fifteenth minute earlier than Oluebube Umejiaku doubled Nigeria’s benefit within the thirty eighth minute. Kanyinsola Yusuf made it 3-0 with an excellent free-kick within the 56th minute, whereas Yu Jong Hyang scored a late comfort for the defending champions.
The victory secured Nigeria’s place within the Round of 16 and ended DPR Korea’s 18-match unbeaten run in regulation time on the event.
4. Nigeria 2-1 Mexico – Round of 16
Nigeria continued their successful run with a 2-1 victory over Mexico within the Round of 16.
The outcome secured the Flamingos’ place within the quarter-finals and moved them nearer to their ambition of successful the competitors for the primary time.
5. Nigeria 1-0 Venezuela – Quarter-final
The Flamingos booked their place within the semi-finals after edging Venezuela 1-0 in a carefully contested quarter-final encounter.
With the match showing destined for a penalty shootout, Azeezat Oduntan transformed an 89th-minute penalty to safe the decisive purpose.
The victory took Nigeria into the final 4 for under the second time within the competitors’s historical past, having beforehand completed third in 2022.
6. Nigeria 3-1 Brazil – Semi-final
Nigeria reached their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup remaining after defeating Brazil 3-1 within the semi-finals on November 4.
Queen Joseph opened the scoring within the 56th minute earlier than Awawu Bashiru prolonged the lead within the 71st minute. Bashiru accomplished her brace within the eightieth minute to place Nigeria firmly in management, whereas Greise Kelly scored a late comfort for Brazil within the 89th minute.
The victory was one other main milestone for the Flamingos, who grew to become the primary African workforce to achieve the ultimate of the competitors.
FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2026+1
7. Nigeria 2-1 Japan – Final
The Flamingos topped their spectacular marketing campaign with a 2-1 victory over Japan on Saturday, November 7, to win the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Bashiru gave Nigeria the lead within the thirty ninth minute earlier than Umejiaku doubled the benefit within the forty seventh minute. Japan fought again via Fuki Ito within the eightieth minute, however Nigeria held agency to safe the trophy.
The victory made Nigeria the primary African nation to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the primary African girls’s nationwide workforce to assert a FIFA World Cup title.
A marketing campaign outlined by resilience and collective effort
The Flamingos’ achievement was constructed on a exceptional restoration after their opening defeat to Poland. They scored objectives via eight totally different gamers through the event, whereas FIFA statistics confirmed that they registered 113 makes an attempt on purpose earlier than the ultimate.
After six successive victories, Nigeria completed the competitors as world champions, bringing the U-17 Women’s World Cup trophy to Africa for the primary time.
