Flamingos Complete World Cup Mission, Set For Group B Battle Against Korea DPR
Nigeria Clinches Another FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Qualification
NIGERIA’S Flamingos have once again confirmed their status as one of Africa’s leading youth women’s football teams after securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Nigerian girls defeated Benin Republic 5-3 in the second leg of the final qualifying round in Lomé, Togo, completing an impressive 8-5 aggregate victory to book one of Africa’s qualification tickets.
The achievement extends Nigeria’s strong tradition in FIFA youth competitions and reinforces the country’s growing reputation in women’s football development.
Early Goals Set the Tone
The Flamingos wasted little time asserting themselves.
Mary Akpan Dunstan broke the deadlock inside six minutes before Esther Enne Stephen doubled Nigeria’s advantage shortly afterwards.
Queen Joseph then produced the performance of the match with three well-taken goals to complete an outstanding individual display that proved decisive in Nigeria’s qualification.
Although Benin Republic fought back through Romaine Gandonou’s brace and another goal from Hermionne Lokossou, Nigeria maintained control to secure another memorable victory.
Group B Presents Major Test
The official FIFA draw has now revealed Nigeria’s opponents at the World Cup.
The Flamingos will compete in Group B, where they will face:
- Korea DPR
- Poland
- Puerto Rico
The inclusion of Korea DPR, the reigning two-time champions, means Nigeria faces one of the most demanding groups in the tournament.
The expanded competition will feature 24 teams from across the world and promises a significantly higher level of competition than previous editions.
Successful Campaign Ends, Morocco Preparations Begin
After concluding their qualification assignment in Togo, the Flamingos are scheduled to return to Nigeria, arriving in Lagos after departing Lomé on Sunday afternoon.
The team has thanked supporters across the country, members of the media and football stakeholders for their unwavering encouragement throughout the qualification series.
Officials believe the support received during the campaign played an important role in motivating the players to secure another World Cup appearance.
Eyes on Another Historic Campaign
With qualification secured, Nigeria’s technical crew will now begin preparations for the tournament scheduled to hold between 17 October and 7 November in Morocco.
The Flamingos will aim to improve on their previous World Cup performances and compete strongly against elite youth teams from Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa.
For Nigerian football, qualification represents another important milestone in the country’s investment in women’s football development, while the challenging Group B fixtures promise an early test of the team’s ambition to make another significant impact on the global stage.
