Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have made history by winning the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final.
The victory marks Nigeria’s first-ever title in the competition and makes the Flamingos the first African nation to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria took the lead through Awawu Bashiru in the first half before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the advantage after the break. Japan managed to pull one back through Ito, but the Nigerian youngsters held on to secure a historic victory.
The achievement represents a remarkable turnaround for the Flamingos, who began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland but recovered to overcome defending champions North Korea, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil before reaching the final.
Their 3-1 semi-final victory over Brazil had already secured Nigeria’s best-ever finish in the tournament, surpassing their bronze-medal achievement in 2022.
The triumph in Morocco also makes Nigeria the first country to win both the men’s and women’s FIFA U-17 World Cup titles.
The Flamingos have therefore secured a historic place in African women’s football following their impressive campaign. UOL +2
