Nigeria claimed its first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title by defeating Japan 2-1 on Saturday at the Complexe Mohammed VI de football in Salé, Morocco.
The victory marks the first time an African women’s selection has won a FIFA world tournament at any level since the competition’s inception in 2008, as reported by Africa24 TV. Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring for the Flamingos in the 39th minute before teammate Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the lead immediately after the interval in the 47th minute.
Japan managed to narrow the deficit late in the match through Fuki Ito with ten minutes remaining on the clock. Despite the late pressure, the Nigerian side preserved its advantage until the final whistle to secure the historic trophy.
“Nous voulions exploiter les espaces, car l’adversaire était plus rapide dans la circulation du ballon,” said Akeem Busari, head coach of the Flamingos, describing the tactical approach against the Japanese team.
The tournament ran from October 17 to November 7, 2026, across Moroccan venues, bringing together 24 national selections from various continental confederations for 52 matches.
Nigeria recovered from an initial group-stage setback to claim the global crown. “Quand on a perdu le premier match contre la Pologne, tout le monde a dit qu’il fallait se réveiller, car on n’était pas venues ici pour faire de la figuration,” Busari stated regarding the team’s early defeat.
Morocco hosted the youth championship as part of a broader infrastructure testing phase leading up to the 2030 men’s World Cup, according to reporting by Goal.com. The host nation concentrated matches and training facilities at the Mohammed VI complex near Rabat to minimize team travel.
CAFOnline.com said that the triumph places the Flamingos alongside historical achievements by African youth selections, including the men’s Golden Eaglets and Ghana’s Black Starlets in past decades.
“Je crois que, dans les années à venir, l’Afrique sera davantage représentée et disposera de plus d’opportunités pour rivaliser au plus haut niveau et atteindre les phases finales des compétitions,” Busari added.
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