Nigeria’s Flamingos have moved one step closer to a historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title. Their victory over Japan has secured Nigeria’s place in the final and raised hopes of a first African triumph.
Goals from Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku sealed the important win. Japan fought back late, but Nigeria held on to complete a memorable performance.
The result makes the Nigeria Flamingos U-17 team the first African side to win the competition.
Bashiru opened the scoring in the 39th minute after receiving a pass from Mary Dunstan. Her effort slipped through goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki’s gloves and gave Nigeria a first-half lead.
Umejiaku extended the advantage just two minutes after the restart. She controlled Esther Stephen’s long pass before lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.
Japan refused to give up and reduced the deficit in the 80th minute. Fuki Ito scored from Anri Ito’s pass, setting up a tense finish.
Both sides created further chances during the closing minutes. However, Nigeria defended their lead until the final whistle after five minutes of added time.
The victory completed an impressive turnaround for Nigeria. The Flamingos began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland but responded with five consecutive wins.
They defeated Puerto Rico 2-0 before shocking defending champions North Korea with a 3-1 victory. That result ended North Korea’s 18-match unbeaten run in regulation time at the competition.
Nigeria then beat Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16. Azeezat Oduntan’s 89th-minute penalty secured a 1-0 quarter-final win over Venezuela.
Their biggest test came against Brazil in the semi-finals. Queen Joseph scored first before Bashiru added two goals in a 3-1 victory.
Head coach Akeem Busari credited psychological support and renewed confidence for the team’s improvement.
Captain Harmony Chidi also described winning the trophy as a moment that would never be forgotten.
Before the tournament, Nigeria won the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Côte d’Ivoire. They recorded five wins, scored 17 goals, and conceded just once.
