Flamingos Qualify for 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Finals
Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup after defeating the Amazons of Benin Republic 5-3 in the second leg of their final qualifying tie in Lomé on Saturday.
The result gave Nigeria an 8-5 aggregate victory over two legs, confirming their place among the teams that will compete at this year’s global youth tournament in Morocco.
Coach Akeem Busari’s side produced a determined performance in the decisive encounter after taking a narrow 3-2 advantage from the first leg in Ikenne, Ogun State, last weekend. The Flamingos showed their attacking quality in the return fixture, racing into an early lead and controlling key moments of the match.
Nigeria made the perfect start in Lomé when Mary Dustan opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Although the hosts responded quickly with an equaliser three minutes later, the Flamingos regained control through Esther Stephen, who restored their lead in the 15th minute.
Queen Joseph then extended Nigeria’s advantage five minutes later, giving the visitors a 3-1 lead inside the opening 20 minutes and putting them firmly in command of the tie.
Benin Republic fought back and reduced the deficit with a spirited display, but Nigeria remained composed under pressure. Queen Joseph completed her brace in the 76th minute, securing a 5-3 victory on the day and confirming the Flamingos’ qualification.
The achievement continues Nigeria’s strong tradition in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, with the Flamingos now set to compete against the best teams from around the world as they target another memorable campaign on the international stage.
