Nigeria Qualifies For 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals
AFOLABI SAHEED OLAWALE
Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, left nothing to chance as they defeated the Amazons of the Benin Republic 5-3 in Lome on Saturday to make sure of a place at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals. The win earned them a victory over two legs on 8-5 aggregate.
Akeem Busari’s side confirmed their qualification after an impressive performance in the return leg, sealing progression from the final qualifying round in emphatic fashion. The Flamingos had taken a slender 3-2 advantage from the first leg encounter held in Ikenne, Ogun State last weekend, setting up a decisive second leg clash.
Nigeria made a bright start in Lomé, with Mary Dustan opening the scoring as early as the 6th minute. However, the hosts responded quickly to level matters just three minutes later. The Flamingos restored their lead in the 15th minute through Esther Stephen, before Queen Joseph extended the advantage five minutes later to give Nigeria a commanding 3-1 lead inside the opening 20 minutes.
Despite a spirited fightback from the Beninese side, who clawed their way back into the contest, the Flamingos maintained composure in the closing stages. Queen Joseph grabbed her second of the match in the 76th minute to seal a crucial 5-3 victory on the day and confirm Nigeria’s ticket to Morocco.
The Flamingos will now join the world’s best at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, as they aim to build on their growing reputation on the global stage.
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