Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Nigeria’s Flamingos have made history by winning the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Rabat, Morocco, to become the first African nation to lift the women’s Under-17 global trophy.
The victory marks Nigeria’s first title in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and a landmark achievement for African women’s football, as the Nigerian team overcame one of the competition’s most experienced sides to claim the championship.
Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring for Nigeria shortly before half-time, capitalising on a goalkeeping error after her long-range effort was spilled by Japan’s goalkeeper. The midfielder’s goal gave the Flamingos a 1-0 lead at the break.
Nigeria returned from the interval with renewed attacking intent, doubling their lead early in the second half through Oluebube Umejiaku. The forward produced an excellent finish, lifting the ball over the advancing Japanese goalkeeper to put the Flamingos firmly in control at 2-0.
Japan fought back in the closing stages, with Fuki Ito pulling a goal back to make it 2-1. The Japanese side increased the pressure in search of an equaliser, but Nigeria’s defenders held firm, surviving several dangerous attacks and late attempts to preserve their advantage until the final whistle.
The triumph represents a significant turnaround for the Flamingos, whose campaign began with a 2-1 defeat to Poland in the group stage. Nigeria recovered with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico before producing one of their most impressive performances of the tournament, beating defending champions Korea DPR 3-1 to advance from Group B.
The Nigerian girls maintained their momentum in the knockout stages, defeating Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16 before edging Venezuela 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
They subsequently dispatched Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals, with Queen Joseph scoring the opener before Bashiru’s brace secured their first-ever appearance in the competition’s final.
Saturday’s victory also ended Japan’s bid for a second U-17 Women’s World Cup title. The Japanese had previously won the competition in 2014 and finished runners-up in 2010 and 2016. Their appearance in the 2026 final was their fourth in the tournament’s history.
The Flamingos’ achievement is particularly significant for Nigerian football, as the country now holds FIFA U-17 World Cup titles in both the men’s and women’s categories.
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have won the men’s competition five times, in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015, making the Flamingos’ triumph another milestone in the country’s history of youth football success.
The 2026 championship also represents a new high for Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, which previously finished third at the 2022 edition. Their victory in Morocco establishes the Flamingos as world champions for the first time and makes Nigeria the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
With 14 goals scored across their seven matches, the Flamingos have completed an outstanding campaign, turning an opening-day setback into a historic world championship triumph.
