Nigeria's Flamingos have made history by winning their first-ever FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup title, defeating Japan 2-1 in the final. The victory also marked Nigeria as the first African country to win the tournament. The Flamingos' journey to the title was impressive, with the team bouncing back from an opening defeat to Poland. According to head coach Akeem Busari, psychological support and renewed confidence helped the players recover from the loss.
The final match against Japan was intense, with Bashiru opening the scoring in the 39th minute after receiving a pass from Mary Dunstan. Her effort slipped through the hands of Japan goalkeeper Kadowaki and went into the net, giving Nigeria a 1-0 lead at half-time. The Flamingos increased their advantage just two minutes into the second half when Oluebube Umejiaku scored in the 47th minute.
Umejiaku received a long pass from Esther Stephen, controlled the ball with her left foot, and calmly lifted it over the Japanese goalkeeper to make it 2-0. However, Japan reduced the deficit in the 80th minute through Fuki Ito, who scored after receiving a pass from Anri Ito. The goal put Nigeria under pressure as Japan pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages.
Despite the pressure, the Flamingos defended well and created some chances of their own through Umejiaku and Kanyinsola Yusuf. Japan also came close to scoring through Mashiro Yamaji, but Nigeria held on to their advantage until the final whistle. Umejiaku was caught offside in the 94th minute before the referee ended the match after five minutes of added time.
The Flamingos' impressive performance in the tournament was not limited to the final match. They had previously defeated Puerto Rico 2-0, defending champions North Korea 3-1, and Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16. Umejiaku and Dunstan scored to send Nigeria into the quarter-finals, where Azeezat Oduntan scored a late penalty in the 89th minute to give Nigeria a 1-0 victory over Venezuela.
The Nigerian youngsters then secured their first-ever place in the final after beating Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals. Queen Joseph opened the scoring in the 56th minute before Bashiru scored twice in the 71st and 80th minutes. Brazil scored a late consolation goal, but Nigeria held on to reach the final. Before travelling to Morocco for the World Cup, the Flamingos had already won the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Côte d’Ivoire.
The historic triumph makes Nigeria the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, marking a major achievement for women’s football on the continent and further establishing the Flamingos as one of Africa’s leading youth teams. Captain Harmony Chidi described winning the trophy as a moment the players would never forget.
Key points
- Nigeria's Flamingos are the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title.
- The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in the final, with Bashiru and Umejiaku scoring the goals.
- The team's journey to the title was impressive, with victories over Puerto Rico, North Korea, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil.
