Flamingos chase historic U-17 World Cup glory against Japan
By Tosin Omojola
Nigeria will aim to become the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 World Cups in both the men’s and women’s categories when the Flamingos face Japan’s Little Nadeshiko in Saturday’s 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final in Rabat, Morocco.
The potentially explosive encounter at Pitch 3 of the Complexe Mohammed VI promises an exciting contest, with the Nigerian girls determined to produce the performances of their lives, lift the trophy and present it to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the coming days.
After losing 1-2 to Poland in their opening match and narrowly defeating Puerto Rico, the Flamingos rediscovered their attacking spark with a 3-1 demolition of defending champions and two-time winners Korea DPR in their final group-stage fixture, qualifying for the knockout rounds as runners-up.
Mexico were next to fall, suffering a 2-1 defeat in an exhilarating Round of 16 encounter, before the Nigerian girls edged past surprise quarter-finalists Venezuela, who had earlier eliminated Germany.
Any lingering doubts about the Flamingos’ quality and potential were emphatically dispelled in the semi-finals, where they overwhelmed an impressive Brazil side 3-1.
Nigeria registered 30 attempts on goal and could have scored as many as six before the South Americans grabbed a consolation goal in the final minute of regulation time.
The victory also underlined the Flamingos’ pedigree in the competition. They have now scored 115 goals since making their debut at the inaugural edition in New Zealand 18 years ago.
Nigeria have featured in every edition except the 2018 finals in Uruguay, which they missed after losing to Cameroon on the away-goal rule in the final round of African qualifying.
