Nigeria’s victorious U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have arrived in Abuja following their historic conquest of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The champions touched down in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday morning, days after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final to claim Nigeria’s first-ever title in the competition.
Goals from Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku secured the memorable victory, making Nigeria the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The triumph capped an impressive campaign in which the Flamingos displayed determination, tactical discipline and attacking quality against some of the best young teams in the world.
Their journey to global glory followed an equally remarkable performance at the 2026 WAFU-B Championship in Côte d’Ivoire, where they won all five matches, scored 17 goals and conceded just one.
Head coach, Hakeem Busari, commended his players for their commitment, discipline and ability to execute the team’s tactical plans throughout the tournament.
Busari described the final against Japan as a difficult encounter, explaining that his technical crew adopted specific tactical measures to contain the Japanese side’s attacking threat.
He also noted that the victory represented a significant milestone for women’s football in Africa, demonstrating the continent’s growing capacity to compete at the highest level of the game.
With their historic achievement, the Flamingos have etched their names in Nigerian and African football history, bringing home a world title that had eluded the continent since the competition began.
