U17 WWC: Flamingos Star Bags Player Of The Match Award After Her Superb Display Against Mexico

According to a report by Flashscore on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Nigeria’s Flamingos defeated Mexico 2-1 in their Round of 16 encounter at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, with Oluebube Umejiaku named Player of the Match after scoring the opening goal.

Head coach Hakeem Busari’s side secured their place in the quarter-finals with goals from Umejiaku and Mary Akpan Dunstan, extending their winning run following victories over Puerto Rico and defending champions North Korea.

Nigeria entered the knockout encounter with confidence after recording a 3-1 victory over North Korea in their final Group B fixture. The result helped the Flamingos finish second in the group with six points, while Mexico advanced to the last 16 after finishing second in Group F.

The Nigerian youngsters started the contest determined to secure qualification for the quarter-finals but had to wait until the closing stages of the first half to break the deadlock.

Umejiaku opened the scoring in the 40th minute, finding the back of the net to give Nigeria a 1-0 advantage heading into the half-time interval.

The goal gave Busari’s team an important lead as they prepared for the second half, with Mexico needing to respond to keep their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive.

Nigeria continued to search for another goal after the restart, seeking to increase the pressure on their opponents and strengthen their advantage.

Their efforts paid off in the 72nd minute when Dunstan scored to make it 2-0. Her strike provided the Flamingos with a valuable cushion and put them within reach of a place in the last eight.

Mexico refused to surrender and reduced the deficit through Emily Delgado in the 90+10th minute, setting up a tense finish to the encounter. However, Nigeria held on to secure a 2-1 victory, eliminating Mexico and advancing to the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The Flamingos will now face Venezuela on Sunday, November 1, for a place in the semi-finals. Venezuela reached the quarter-finals after defeating Germany 1-0, with Diana Bravo scoring the decisive goal in the fifth minute.

Umejiaku was named Player of the Match for her contribution to Nigeria’s victory, having scored the opening goal to help the Flamingos overcome Mexico and secure qualification for the quarter-finals.

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