BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU, KSM
The Nigeria U-17 female team, the Flamingos, defeated Japan 2-1 to clinch their first World Cup trophy on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco.
Goals from Awawu Bashiru in the 39th minute and Oluebube Umejiaku in the 47th minute gave Nigeria a two-goal lead, before Fuki Ito pulled one back for Japan in the 80th minute. The Flamingos, coached by Akeem Busari, held on to make history as the first African nation to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The victory came at a point when Nigerian football is undergoing a crisis, with the Super Eagles and Super Falcons both failing to qualify for the World Cup. The Super Eagles missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.
Nigerians have been in pain and mourning owing to this poor situation, but this victory has obviously set the tone for a moment of joy for a nation in a gloomy mood.
The title is also Nigeria’s first FIFA World Cup trophy since 2015, when the Golden Eaglets, led by Victor Osimhen, won the U-17 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Since then, FIFA football tournaments have eluded Nigeria, with the latest failure of national teams to qualify for the World Cup becoming a source of worry.