Flamingos fall to New Zealand in 7-goal thriller ahead of U17 Women’s World Cup
Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, saw their impressive unbeaten run come to an end on Saturday night in Casablanca, falling 4–3 to New Zealand in a pulsating friendly encounter.
The match, part of their final preparations for the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, marked their first defeat in 11 warm up games.
Despite the result, the Flamingos delivered a spirited performance, showcasing attacking flair and resilience that will serve them well as they head into the global tournament.
Nigeria began the match on the front foot, earning a corner within the opening two minutes. Captain Shakirat Moshood was lively from the outset, while goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface made an early save to deny New Zealand from a free kick.
The breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Queen Joseph latched onto a well weighted through ball and calmly finished to give Nigeria a deserved lead.
New Zealand responded in the 25th minute through Laura Bennett, who netted the equaliser, Nigeria’s first goal conceded in their warm up campaign.
The Kiwis briefly thought they had taken the lead, but their effort was ruled offside. Moshood restored Nigeria’s advantage with a stunning long range strike in the 42nd minute, sending the Flamingos into halftime with a 2–1 lead.
The second half was packed with drama. Joseph nearly extended Nigeria’s lead, only to see her shot rebound off the post. Bennett struck again in the 55th minute to level the score, and completed her hat-trick in the 74th minute to put New Zealand ahead for the first time.
Nigeria responded swiftly, with Ayo firing home a powerful effort from outside the box to make it 3–3.
However, the decisive moment came in the 80th minute when Candy Sienna scored a spectacular winner for New Zealand. Despite late pressure and several chances, Nigeria couldn’t find another equaliser.
The defeat ends a remarkable 10-match unbeaten streak for the Flamingos, during which they scored 47 goals and conceded just four. They will now shift focus to their next friendly against Paraguay before heading to Rabat for the World Cup.
Nigeria has been drawn in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa, with their tournament campaign set to begin on October 19.
