Flamingos vs Japan: CAF President Motsepe rallies Africa behind Nigeria
By Tosin Omojola
The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe, has expressed pride in Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their historic qualification for the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026.
Celebrating the team’s achievement, an excited Motsepe described the feat as monumental for African football, assuring the players that they would enjoy the full support of the continent when they face Japan in Saturday’s final.
The CAF president is expected to travel to Rabat, Morocco, to watch the encounter, scheduled for November 7, 2026, at 18:30 local time (GMT).
Nigeria booked their place in the final after defeating Brazil 3-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final, becoming the first African nation to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The achievement marks a significant milestone for Nigerian and African football, with the continent having previously recorded third-place finishes through Ghana in 2012 and Nigeria in 2022. Both teams secured bronze medals after defeating Germany in their respective third-place matches.
Motsepe said CAF’s 54 member associations would rally behind the Flamingos as they seek to make history by winning the tournament for the first time for Nigeria and Africa.
