Nigeria’s Flamingos have won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Rabat, Morocco.
The victory at the Mohammed VI Football Complex on Saturday, November 7, 2026, also made Nigeria the first African country to lift the trophy since the competition began.
Goals from Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku secured the historic win for the team coached by Akeem Busari, while Fuki Ito scored Japan’s only goal.
Bashiru broke the deadlock in the 39th minute, finishing a move initiated by Mary Dunstan to give Nigeria the advantage before the interval.
The Flamingos extended their lead just two minutes into the second half when Umejiaku converted an opportunity created by Esther Stephen.
Japan mounted a late challenge and reduced the deficit through Ito in the 80th minute, but Nigeria resisted further pressure to protect their lead until the final whistle.
The triumph capped an impressive recovery by the Nigerian side, who began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland in the group stage.
They responded by winning their next six matches, including a 3-1 victory over two-time defending champions North Korea, ending the Asian side’s lengthy unbeaten run in the competition.
Nigeria subsequently defeated Mexico 2-1 in the round of 16, edged Venezuela 1-0 in the quarter-finals and overcame Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals to secure their place in the final.
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Japan finished the tournament as runners-up, while North Korea claimed third place and Brazil came fourth.
The achievement represents a significant improvement on Nigeria’s previous best finish of third place at the 2022 tournament in India.
It also establishes the Flamingos as the first African team to win a FIFA women’s age-group World Cup title.
Before the final, captain Harmony Chidi had expressed the team’s determination to make Nigeria proud, saying lifting the trophy would “never be forgotten.”
CAF President Patrice Motsepe had also commended the Flamingos after their semi-final victory, saying their performance had brought pride to African football.
Nigeria’s victory in Morocco therefore marks a historic moment for the country’s women’s football, with the Flamingos delivering a first world title for Africa at the FIFA U-17 women’s level.