Flamingos target winning start against Poland at U-17 Women’s World Cup

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, will open their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign against Poland at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat on Saturday, October 17.

The Group B match will be played on Pitch 4, with Akeem Busari’s side looking to begin their campaign with maximum points and make an early statement in Morocco.

Nigeria are aiming to improve on their showing at the previous edition of the competition, when they were eliminated in the Round of 16 following a 4-0 defeat by Italy.

The Flamingos reached this year’s tournament after a demanding qualifying campaign in which they overcame Guinea and the Benin Republic. Their progress was also underpinned by a series of impressive attacking displays, with the team producing several strong scoring performances on the way to qualification.

A positive result against Poland would give Nigeria an important advantage in a group that also includes Puerto Rico and defending champions Korea DPR. With qualification for the knockout stages the objective, the opening fixture carries added significance.

Poland are returning to the tournament after missing the 2025 edition. Their most recent appearance came in 2024 in the Dominican Republic, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Korea DPR.

Saturday’s fixture will be the first meeting between Nigeria and Poland at U-17 women’s level. That lack of previous encounters adds an element of uncertainty to the opening game, with both teams attempting to establish themselves in the group from the outset.

Nigeria finished third at the 2022 edition and will be determined to go further this time. A victory over Poland would provide a strong platform for their campaign and leave the Flamingos well placed as they seek to advance to the knockout stages.