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 marks Nigeria as the first African country to win the tournament. The team, led by head coach Akeem Busari, has been on an impressive run, having previously won the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Côte d'Ivoire.
The match against Japan was a closely contested one, 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's goal was scored after receiving a long pass from Esther Stephen, controlling the ball with her left foot, and calmly lifting 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. The team's captain, Harmony Chidi, described winning the trophy as a moment the players would never forget.
The Flamingos had already shown impressive performance in the tournament, bouncing back with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico before defeating defending champions North Korea 3-1. The victory ended North Korea's 18-match unbeaten run in regulation time at the tournament. They continued their impressive performance with a 2-1 win over Mexico in the Round of 16.
In the quarter-finals, 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.
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. The team's head coach, Akeem Busari, had earlier revealed that psychological support and renewed confidence helped the players recover from their opening defeat to Poland.
Key points
- Nigeria's Flamingos are the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title.
- The team won the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Côte d'Ivoire before travelling to Morocco for the World Cup.
- The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in the final, with Bashiru and Umejiaku scoring the goals.
