Nigeria Flamingos Qualify for 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup! Nigeria U17 Storm to Morocco with 5-3 Thriller Against Benin

Lomé, Togo — The Nigeria U17 Flamingos are officially Morocco-bound! In a pulsating, end-to-end thriller, the Flamingos defeated Benin U17 5-3 in the second leg to qualify for the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup with an 8-5 aggregate victory.

Nigeria claimed one of Africa’s four automatic qualification slots and will join host Morocco, making it five African teams at the 24-team tournament scheduled for 17 October to 7 November 2026.

Goal Timeline (Second Leg)

⚽ 6' — Mary Akpan Dunstan 🇳🇬
⚽ 11' — Romaine Gandonou 🇧🇯
⚽ 15' — Esther Enne Stephen 🇳🇬
⚽ 19' — Queen Joseph 🇳🇬
⚽ 54' — Queen Joseph (Pen) 🇳🇬
⚽ 56' — Hermionne Lokossou 🇧🇯
⚽ 64' — Romaine Gandonou 🇧🇯 (Pen)
⚽ 76' — Queen Joseph 🇳🇬

Qualification Journey

The Flamingos were ruthless from the start of the campaign. In the second round, they dismantled Guinea 11-0 on aggregate (5-0 away and 6-0 home), with standout contributions from Harmony Chidi (5 goals), Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Queen Joseph, Mary Dunstan, and Precious Oscar.

Against Benin, they first secured a hard-fought 3-2 win in Ikenne before producing this commanding second-leg performance in Togo.

Praise for Benin

Benin deserve huge credit for their resilience and fighting spirit. Led by the exceptional Romaine Gandonou (who scored 11 goals across the qualifiers), the young Amazons made this tie a genuine thriller and pushed the Flamingos all the way.

Praise for Nigeria

A good performance by the Flamingos away from home. Coach Akeem Busari’s side showed tremendous character, attacking brilliance, and maturity to overcome a resilient Benin side. From Mary Dunstan’s early thunderbolt to Queen Joseph’s beautiful masterclass, this was largely a good team display that highlights the bright future of Nigerian women’s football.

That said, many fans will point out that the Flamingos wasted several clear chances and showed moments of defensive vulnerability. Addressing these areas will be key as they prepare for the bigger challenge in Morocco.

Nigeria’s Record at FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup

• 2008: Group stage

• 2010: Quarter-finals

• 2012: Quarter-finals

• 2014: Quarter-finals

• 2016: Group stage

• 2018: Did not qualify

• 2022: Third place (Best performance)

• 2024: Quarter-finals

• 2025: Round of 16

The Road Ahead

With this qualification secured, the big goal now for Head Coach Akeem Busari and his technical team is to improve on past performances and target a semi-final or final appearance in Morocco, something that would surely be historic for Nigerian women’s football.

Well done Flamingos! Four wins from four matches. A statement performance and a proud moment for the nation.

On to Morocco 2026, Soar High Flamingos.