Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, are facing a tense battle for survival at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup following a slender 1–0 defeat to France in their second Group D match on Wednesday night in Rabat, Morocco.
The result leaves the young Nigerians without a point after two games, following their 4–1 opening-day loss to Canada. Their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage now hang delicately in the balance, with only one group match left to play.
The encounter against France was a notable improvement for the Flamingos, who started brightly and showed more organization and purpose.
They pressed the Europeans high up the pitch and defended with determination, occasionally finding spaces to threaten the French goal.
However, their efforts lacked the finishing touch, as France’s backline and goalkeeper remained composed under pressure.
The decisive blow came late in the second half. In the 81st minute, French forward Maïssa Fathallah reacted quickest to a rebound after Nigerian goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface failed to clear a dangerous ball inside the area.
Despite the defeat, head coach Bankole Olowookere praised his players for showing improvement and fighting spirit compared to their opening game.
“The performance today was much better than what we saw against Canada,” Olowookere said after the match. “It’s painful to concede that kind of goal so late, especially when the girls gave everything. If we had started the tournament like this, things could have been different. We just have to stay positive and keep pushing.”
With two losses from two matches, the Flamingos now sit bottom of Group D. Their final group game against Samoa on Saturday, October 25, will determine their fate. Only a convincing win will give Nigeria a chance to progress as one of the best third-placed teams, keeping their World Cup dream alive.
