The draw for the African qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026 was conducted on Saturday in Rabat, officially kick-starting the race for the continent’s four slots at the global tournament.
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, will enter the qualification campaign at the second round, where they are set to face the winner of the preliminary tie between Niger and Guinea.
The first leg of the second-round fixture is scheduled to take place between May 22 and 24, with the return leg billed for May 29 to 31.
Should the Flamingos successfully navigate the second round, they will advance to the third and final round of the qualifiers. The first leg of the third round will be played between July 3 and 5, while the decisive return leg is slated for July 10 to 12.
Nigeria are one of the most consistent teams in the competition’s history and will be aiming to extend their strong record in the tournament, having regularly represented Africa at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The four teams that emerge victorious at the end of the final qualifying round will book Africa’s tickets to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by Morocco.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
