Nigeria’s Flamingos have made history by winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Rabat, Morocco.
The Nigerian youngsters produced an impressive performance to overcome their Japanese opponents, becoming the first African country to win the prestigious youth women’s football tournament.
The historic victory on Saturday, November 7, 2026, also marks Nigeria’s first title in the competition, surpassing the team’s previous best achievement of finishing third in 2022.
The Flamingos took the lead in the 39th minute through Awawu Bashiru, whose effort put Nigeria ahead before the break.
Nigeria returned for the second half with renewed determination and doubled their advantage just two minutes after the restart.
Oluebube Umejiaku scored in the 47th minute to give the Flamingos a comfortable 2-0 lead and put them in a strong position to claim the trophy.
Japan, however, refused to surrender and reduced the deficit through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute, setting up a tense finish.
The Nigerian girls remained resolute during the closing stages, defending their advantage to secure a memorable 2-1 victory and lift the trophy.
Flamingos’ Historic Road to the Final
Nigeria’s journey to the championship was marked by impressive performances against some of the strongest teams in the competition.
The Flamingos defeated Brazil 3-1 in the semi-final to secure their first-ever appearance in the U-17 Women’s World Cup final.
They had also beaten Venezuela 1-0 in the quarter-final and Mexico 2-1 in the round of 16.
Their victory over Japan has now crowned an outstanding campaign and delivered another landmark achievement for Nigerian football.
The triumph is particularly significant for African women’s football, as Nigeria becomes the first country from the continent to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
