By Our Correspondent
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have made history by winning the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Japan 2–1 in Saturday’s final in Rabat, Morocco.
The victory marks Nigeria’s first ever title in the competition and makes the country the first African nation to lift the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup trophy since the tournament began in 2008.
The final, played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex on November 7, saw the Nigerian youngsters overcome a determined Japanese side to secure one of the biggest achievements in the history of African women’s football.
Nigeria took the lead in the 39th minute through Awawu Bashiru, whose effort found its way past Japanese goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki to give the Flamingos an advantage before the break.
The Nigerian side returned for the second half with renewed determination and doubled their lead in the 47th minute. Oluebube Umejiaku finished a move initiated by Esther Stephen, lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to put Nigeria 2–0 ahead.
Japan refused to surrender and increased the pressure as the match progressed. Its persistence paid off in the 80th minute when Fuki Ito found the net to reduce the deficit to 2–1.
Despite Japan’s late attempts to force an equaliser, the Flamingos maintained their defensive discipline and held on until the final whistle to secure the historic victory.
The triumph was particularly remarkable considering Nigeria’s difficult start to the tournament. The team opened its campaign with a 2–1 defeat to Poland but recovered strongly, recording six consecutive victories to reach the summit.
After the opening setback, the Flamingos defeated Puerto Rico and defending champions North Korea in the group stage to advance to the knockout rounds.
They subsequently overcame Mexico in the Round of 16 and Venezuela in the quarter finals before producing an impressive 3–1 victory over Brazil in the semi-finals to book their first ever appearance in the final.
The win over Japan also surpassed Nigeria’s previous best performance in the competition, a third place finish at the 2022 edition in India.
Beyond the country’s achievement, the victory represents a major breakthrough for African women’s football, as no nation from the continent had previously won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The success also places Nigeria among a select group of countries to have won both the men’s and women’s FIFA U-17 World Cup competitions. The country’s Golden Eaglets have previously won the men’s title five times.
Umejiaku’s impressive performance in the final was further recognised as she was named Player of the Match. She also finished the tournament with the Golden Ball award as its outstanding player.
Nigeria’s victory attracted congratulations from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who described the achievement as well deserved and praised the team for making history for the country and the African continent.
President Bola Tinubu also congratulated the players, describing their triumph as a proud moment for Nigeria and a source of inspiration for young girls across the country.
For the Flamingos, the victory represents more than a trophy. It is the culmination of a remarkable comeback, a demonstration of the growing strength of Nigerian women’s football and a historic achievement that has placed the country at the top of the global U-17 women’s game.
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