Nigeria’s Flamingos are world champions. Hakeem Busari’s side beat Japan 2-1 in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco, on Saturday night, becoming the first African team ever to win the tournament.
Latest: Super Falcons, Falconets and Flamingos news today: Nigerian women’s football hub
Key Highlights
- Final score: Japan 1-2 Nigeria, Mohammed VI Football Complex, Rabat, Saturday 7 November 2026.
- Awawu Bashiru scored in the 39th minute and Oluebube Umejiaku added a second in the 47th.
- Fuki Ito pulled one back for Japan in the 80th minute.
- Nigeria are the first African country to win the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
- It is Nigeria’s first FIFA women’s world title at any level, beating the Flamingos’ previous best of third place in 2022.
How the Flamingos won the final
Nigeria took the lead six minutes before half-time when Awawu Bashiru, already the heroine of the semi-final win over Brazil, let fly from long range and the shot slipped through the hands of the Japanese goalkeeper.
The Flamingos doubled their lead two minutes after the restart through Oluebube Umejiaku, who had also starred in the round-of-16 win over Mexico. Japan, who had come from behind to beat Kenya and defending champions DPR Korea earlier in the tournament, pushed hard and Fuki Ito reduced the deficit in the 80th minute.
Nigeria held firm for the final ten minutes and came close to a third goal late on, hitting the crossbar from a corner. The result is confirmed on FIFA’s official tournament page.
A historic run for Nigeria
The title caps a remarkable recovery. The Flamingos lost their opening match 2-1 to Poland, then beat Puerto Rico 2-0 and stunned defending champions DPR Korea 3-1 to reach the knockout rounds. They beat Mexico 2-1, Venezuela 1-0 and Brazil 3-1 before overcoming Japan, who had won the title in 2014 and had been unbeaten in Morocco until Saturday.
Captain Chidera Chidi told FIFA before the final that reaching it was something the team had dreamed of, and after the match she said lifting the trophy for Nigeria would “never be forgotten”, according to reports.
Read also:
- Flamingos vs Japan: Kick-Off Time, Venue and What to Know Before U-17 Women’s World Cup Final
- Flamingos vs Brazil: Nigeria Target Historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Final
- U-17 Women’s World Cup: NIS DG Philip Shaibu Urges Flamingos to Defeat Japan and Win Historic Title
What the win means
The victory is the biggest achievement yet for Nigeria’s youth women’s football programme and gives the Nigeria Football Federation a new generation of talent to build on ahead of the Falconets and Super Falcons cycles.
The Trumpet will follow the Flamingos’ homecoming and reactions from across Nigeria. For the latest, follow us on X.
