2026 FIFA U-17 WWC: The First African Nation to Qualify for Round of 16

According to FIFA.com on Friday, October 23, 2026, Nigeria’s Flamingos became the first African nation to qualify for the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating defending champions Korea DPR 3-1 in their final Group B match on Friday.

The Nigerian U-17 women’s national team delivered an impressive performance at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to secure a place in the knockout stage and overcome the two-time defending champions.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 15th minute with a fine individual effort before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the advantage in the 38th minute.

Kanyinsola Yusuf extended the Flamingos’ lead to 3-0 in the 56th minute with a well-taken free-kick, putting Nigeria firmly in control of the encounter.

Korea DPR reduced the deficit in the 82nd minute through Yu Jong-hyang, who converted a penalty, but the Flamingos held on to record a memorable victory over the reigning champions.

The result confirmed Nigeria’s progression to the Round of 16, with the team finishing second in Group B with six points from three matches.

The Flamingos began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland before bouncing back with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico.

The win against Korea DPR therefore proved decisive in their bid to advance to the knockout stage.

Nigeria finished level on six points with Korea DPR and Poland, but secured second place in the group.

Korea DPR topped the standings, while Poland also advanced after beating Puerto Rico 6-2 in the other group fixture.

The victory also represented a significant achievement for head coach Akeem Busari and his players, who responded impressively to their opening-match setback to defeat one of the tournament’s strongest sides.

Nigeria captain Azeezat Oduntan expressed pride in her teammates’ performance but stressed that the team must continue working hard despite reaching the knockout stage.

“I’m super proud of my team-mates because they all came out and chose to play. We have to keep going and keep fighting,” Oduntan told FIFA.

The Flamingos will now turn their attention to the Round of 16 as they seek to build on Nigeria’s impressive record in the competition.

The team won bronze at the 2022 edition in India, recording the country’s best-ever finish at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

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