Nigeria’s Flamingos have made history by reaching their maiden FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final after recording an emphatic 3-1 victory over Brazil in their semi-final encounter in Morocco.
The Nigerian girls produced a dominant second-half performance, scoring three goals to overcome the South Americans and secure a historic place in the final.
After a goalless first half, Queen Joseph broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, converting a delivery from Oluwakemi Adegubyi to give Nigeria the lead.
The Flamingos extended their advantage in the 71st minute when Awawu Bashiru finished off a pass from Joseph to make it 2-0.
Bashiru completed her brace nine minutes later, finding the back of the net from Oluebube Umejiaku’s assist to put Nigeria firmly in control at 3-0.
Brazil managed to reduce the deficit in the 89th minute through Greise Kelly, who converted Yasmin Queiroz’s assist, but the late goal was insufficient to prevent Nigeria from celebrating a memorable victory.
The result sends the Flamingos into their first-ever final at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, where they will face Japan, who defeated defending champions North Korea in the other semi-final.
Nigeria’s remarkable journey to the final has been characterised by resilience and impressive performances, following their opening 2-1 defeat to Poland.
The team responded strongly with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico, with Oluwakemi Adegubyi and Precious Oscar getting on the scoresheet.
They followed that result with an impressive 3-1 triumph over North Korea, ending the defending champions’ 18-match unbeaten run in regulation time at the competition. Adegubyi, Umejiaku and Kanyinsola Rodiat Yusuf scored for Nigeria.
In the round of 16, the Flamingos defeated Mexico 2-1, with Umejiaku and Mary Dunstan finding the net in either half, despite a late consolation goal from Emily Delgado.
Nigeria subsequently secured their semi-final ticket with a narrow 1-0 victory over Venezuela. Azeezat Oduntan converted an 89th-minute penalty to settle the quarter-final encounter.
The historic qualification marks a significant improvement on Nigeria’s previous best performance at the competition, when the Flamingos finished third in 2022 after defeating Germany in a penalty shootout to claim the bronze medal.
The team also arrived in Morocco on the back of an impressive regional campaign, having won the WAFU B U-17 championship with a perfect record of five victories from five matches.
They scored 17 goals and conceded just once during the competition, underlining their attacking strength and defensive solidity ahead of the global tournament.
With Brazil now behind them, the Flamingos will look to complete their remarkable campaign by defeating Japan and claiming Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.
