Akwa Ibom State has secured a place in Nigeria’s historic 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup triumph in Morocco, with three indigenes featuring in different capacities in the victorious Flamingos squad.

The state’s contribution includes Mary Dunstan Akpan, a member of the playing squad, Arit Robert Effiong, who served as Team Secretary, and Charity Etim Godwin, the team’s physiotherapist.

Governor Umo Eno, who celebrated the trio following Nigeria’s historic achievement, said their involvement had given Akwa Ibom additional reason to share in the national celebration.

In a congratulatory message issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ekerete Udoh, Eno singled out Akpan for her impressive performance, particularly her goal against Mexico during the tournament.

“Your outstanding performance throughout the tournament, including your memorable goal against Mexico, has brought great pride to our State,” the governor told the Akwa Ibom-born footballer.

He also recognised the contributions of Effiong and Godwin, noting that their roles behind the scenes were equally important to the team’s successful campaign.

The governor described the Flamingos’ victory as a major milestone for women’s football in Nigeria and Africa, congratulating the players, coaching crew and technical officials for the achievement.

Eno said the success of the young footballers reinforced the need to create more opportunities for talent identification and development, particularly among young people.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sports development and youth empowerment under the ARISE Agenda, stressing that government would continue to invest in initiatives that enable young people to realise their potential.

The governor congratulated the team for bringing honour to Nigeria and described Akpan’s achievement as an inspiration to aspiring footballers in Akwa Ibom State.