Nigeria’s U-17 Women’s National Team Set FIFA Record

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have set a new milestone at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after becoming the first team to have five different players named Player of the Match during a single edition of the tournament across six matches.

According to a report published by ESPN on Thursday, November 5, 2026, the achievement follows Nigeria’s 3-1 victory over Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final, November 4, which secured the country’s first-ever appearance in the competition’s final.

The record highlights the collective strength of the Nigerian squad, with players from different positions earning individual recognition for their contributions throughout the tournament.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi was the first Nigerian player to receive the award after helping the Flamingos secure a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico.

Kanyinsola Yusuf followed with the honour after Nigeria defeated defending champions North Korea 3-1.

Oluebube Umejiaku was next to receive the recognition for her performance against Mexico in the Round of 16. Nigeria won the encounter 2-1, with Umejiaku also finding the back of the net.

Favour Nkwocha became the fourth player to earn the distinction following the Flamingos’ 1-0 quarter-final victory over Venezuela, which secured their place in the semi-finals.

The fifth player to receive the award completed Nigeria’s historic achievement, bringing the number of different Flamingos players recognised during the tournament to five.

The milestone further underlines Nigeria’s impressive campaign and the contributions of several players as the team prepares for its first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final.

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