Nigeria’s victorious U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, arrived in Abuja on Monday morning following their historic triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The team clinched its maiden title on Saturday after defeating Japan 2-1 in the final, with Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku scoring the goals that secured Nigeria’s victory.
The triumph also made the Flamingos the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Their historic achievement followed an impressive run of form ahead of the tournament, having won the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Côte d’Ivoire with a perfect record of five victories from five matches. They scored 17 goals and conceded just once.
Head coach Hakeem Busari commended his players for their determination, tactical discipline and resilience, expressing optimism about the future of women’s football in Africa.
Speaking after the final, Busari said the performances of African teams at the competition demonstrated significant improvements in quality, character and competitiveness despite facing strong opposition.
"What we are seeing now is not a fluke. It is about development, it is about character, and it is about fighting from the beginning to really get it right. So we are elated and happy,” he said.
The coach expressed hope that more African countries would progress to the latter stages of future editions of the competition and eventually challenge for the title.
Reflecting on the final against Japan, Busari disclosed that his technical crew had identified Japan’s ability to win second balls and exploit spaces behind defensive lines as major threats.
He explained that the Flamingos adjusted their tactics by directing long passes into open spaces to prevent their opponents from easily recovering possession and launching attacks.
According to him, the team initially targeted an early goal but became more cautious after taking the lead. Japan, however, restored parity through a set-piece situation.
Busari described the encounter as a tactical battle that required collective defending, discipline and effective game management.
Nigeria’s historic victory has further strengthened the country’s position as a major force in women’s youth football and marked a significant milestone for African football.
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