Nigeria’s Flamingos have made history by winning the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Rabat, Morocco, RaveNewsOnline reports.
The victory makes Nigeria the first African nation to lift the trophy since the competition began in 2008.
This online news outlet learned the final was played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, where the Flamingos produced a determined performance to secure their maiden world title.
Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 39th minute with a long-range effort that Japan goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki failed to hold.
Nigeria doubled their advantage shortly after the restart when Oluebube Umejiaku scored in the 47th minute.
Japan fought back and reduced the deficit through F. Ito in the 80th minute.
However, the Flamingos held on during the closing stages to secure a memorable 2-1 victory and claim the championship.
Nigeria’s Flamingos’ historic breakthrough
RaveNewsOnline reports that the triumph marks a major milestone for Nigerian women’s football and African football.
Before this tournament, no African team had reached the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria broke that barrier on November 4 by defeating Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals.
Queen Joseph scored the opening goal before Bashiru netted twice to send the Flamingos into their first-ever final.
The team had also beaten defending champions Korea DPR 3-1 during the group stage, demonstrating their ability to compete against established teams.
Their journey to the final included victories over Mexico and Venezuela in the knockout rounds.
Nigeria’s previous best performance was a third-place finish at the 2022 tournament in India.
The 2026 victory therefore takes the Flamingos beyond their previous achievement and gives Nigeria its first title in the competition.
A remarkable campaign in Morocco
The Flamingos’ journey was not without challenges.
They began the tournament with a 2-1 defeat to Poland but recovered with successive victories to reach the knockout stages.
Their performances improved as the competition progressed, with different players contributing goals.
FIFA’s pre-final statistics showed that Nigeria had recorded 113 attempts on goal and eight different goalscorers during the tournament.
The team’s attacking depth and resilience proved important throughout their campaign.
By defeating Japan in the final, the Flamingos completed a remarkable turnaround and delivered a historic achievement for Nigeria and the African continent.
