Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have made history after defeating Japan 2-1 in the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco, to claim their first-ever title.
The victory also marks a major milestone for African football, as Nigeria becomes the first country from the continent to win the competition.
The Flamingos got off to a strong start and eventually took the lead in the 39th minute through Awawu Bashiru, whose effort from outside the penalty area beat Japanese goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki. Mary Dunstan provided the assist.
Nigeria returned from the break with renewed confidence and increased their advantage just two minutes into the second half. Oluebube Umejiaku, who had missed an earlier opportunity, calmly lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Japan, popularly known as the Little Nadeshiko, refused to give up and reduced the deficit through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute. However, the Nigerian girls remained organised at the back and successfully protected their lead until the final whistle.
The triumph represents a remarkable turnaround for Akeem Busari’s team, whose campaign began with a 2-1 loss to Poland.
They recovered from the opening setback by defeating Puerto Rico before recording an impressive 3-1 victory over defending champions North Korea to advance from their group.
Their impressive run continued with a 2-1 win against Mexico in the round of 16, followed by a quarter-final victory over Venezuela. They then booked their place in the final after overcoming Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals.
Before the decisive encounter, captain Harmony Chidi had expressed her team’s determination to deliver a historic achievement for Nigeria, describing the final as the fulfilment of a long-held dream.
Meanwhile, North Korea secured third place after thrashing Brazil 6-0 in the tournament’s third-place match.
For Nigeria, the victory is more than just another football achievement. It is a historic moment that puts the country’s young female footballers at the top of the world and gives African women’s football a new reason to celebrate.
