Flamingos beat Japan 2-1 to win U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco
Nigeria's Flamingos claimed their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title with a 2-1 victory over Japan in Saturday's final in Morocco. Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru scored for Nigeria, while Fuki Ito netted a late consolation for Japan.
Japan coach Sadayoshi Shirai admitted his side's failure to score earlier cost them the match. "If we had managed to score earlier, we might have had a better chance," he told FIFA after the game. Japan had beaten North Korea in the semis, while Nigeria eliminated Brazil to reach the final.
Umejiaku's tournament earned her the Golden Ball as best player, capping a historic campaign for the Flamingos. This is Nigeria's first world title at any FIFA women's tournament level — a breakthrough for women's football development in the country.
The victory signals growing investment in grassroots women's football paying off. NFF's recent focus on youth pathways and the NWFL's professionalization created the pipeline that produced this squad.
Will this World Cup win finally force sustained funding and media attention for women's football beyond tournament cycles, or will the Flamingos' success fade into another "one-off" celebration?