Nigeria’s Flamingos beat Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex to win the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, turning a record that began with a group-stage exit in 2008 into the first African title in the tournament’s history and the first FIFA competition win by an African women’s national team.
The triumph caps a long progression across nine appearances. Nigeria left the inaugural 2008 edition at the group stage, reached the quarter-finals in 2010, 2012 and 2014, went out in the group stage again in 2016, and failed to qualify in 2018. The Flamingos then claimed third place in 2022, their best finish until this year, before reaching the quarter-finals in 2024 and the round of 16 in 2025.
Nigeria controlled the early stages of the final with confident possession and repeated attacks against a technically organised Japanese side, and midfielder Awawu Bashiru broke the deadlock in the 39th minute with a long-range strike set up by Mary Dunstan. Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the lead in the 47th minute, finishing calmly from a pass by Esther Stephen, which gave Nigeria a two-goal cushion that lasted until the closing stages.
Japan responded with substitutions and a more aggressive approach, and Fuki Ito reduced the deficit in the 80th minute after an assist from Anri Ito, but the Flamingos kept pressing and organised their defence through five minutes of added time to hold on until the final whistle at 90+5.
The route to the final began with a setback, because Poland beat Nigeria 2-1 in the opening Group B match.
The Flamingos then won every game that followed, beating Puerto Rico 2-0 and Korea DPR 3-1 in the group stage, Mexico 2-1 in the round of 16, Venezuela 1-0 in the quarter-final and Brazil 3-1 in the semi-final. Azeezat Oduntan settled the Venezuela match with an 89th-minute penalty, awarded after Umejiaku was fouled in the area, and the win over Brazil sent Nigeria into their first final at this level.
Japan finished as runners-up after reaching the final on penalties following a 1-1 semi-final draw with Korea DPR. Korea DPR took third place with a 6-0 win over Brazil in the bronze-medal match, which left Brazil in fourth.
The result, achieved under head coach Akeem Busari, gives Nigerian and African women’s football a landmark moment, because no African nation had won the competition since its launch in 2008, and the Flamingos now hold a title that earlier generations of the same programme pursued through quarter-finals, group-stage exits and a missed qualification.
