Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have reached the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time after defeating Brazil 3-1 in their semi-final encounter in Morocco on Wednesday. The victory at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé takes Nigeria beyond its previous best performance at the competition and gives the country an opportunity to win its first title in the tournament’s history.
The Flamingos produced an impressive second-half display to overcome their South American opponents after both teams failed to find the net in the opening 45 minutes. Queen Joseph broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, finishing off an assist from Oluwakemi Adegbuyi to put Nigeria ahead. The goal gave the Nigerian side the advantage their attacking efforts had been threatening to produce and shifted the pressure onto Brazil.
Nigeria doubled its lead in the 71st minute when Awawu Bashiru found the net following a pass from Joseph, who turned provider after opening the scoring. Bashiru struck again in the 80th minute, converting Oluebube Umejiaku’s delivery to complete her brace and give the Flamingos a commanding 3-0 advantage. Brazil managed a consolation goal in the 89th minute through Greise Kelly, assisted by Yasmin Queiroz, but could not prevent Nigeria from securing a historic victory.
The result marks a significant milestone for Nigerian women’s youth football, as the Flamingos had never previously progressed beyond the semi-final stage. Their previous best finish came at the 2022 edition in India, where they won the bronze medal after losing to Colombia in the semi-finals and defeating Germany in the third-place match. Wednesday’s victory also makes Nigeria the first African country to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The team’s journey to the final has required a considerable recovery after a difficult start to the tournament. Nigeria opened its campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland before responding with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico and a 3-1 triumph against defending champions North Korea. The Flamingos subsequently defeated Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16, before securing their semi-final place with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Venezuela in the quarter-finals. Captain Azeezat Oduntan converted an 89th-minute penalty to settle that encounter.
Nigeria will face Japan in Saturday’s final after the Asian side defeated defending champions North Korea 4-1 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time. The meeting presents the Flamingos with an opportunity to claim Nigeria’s first title at the competition and become the first African nation to lift the trophy. Their victory over Brazil has already guaranteed the country its best-ever finish at the tournament.
The achievement has attracted commendation from President Bola Tinubu, who congratulated the players, coaching crew and officials for their performance and qualification for the final. In a statement issued through his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, the President urged the team to maintain its determination and focus as it prepares for the decisive encounter. The Flamingos will now seek to crown an impressive campaign with a world title when they take on Japan on Saturday, November 7.
