Nigeria captain Oduntan urges Flamingos to keep fighting after North Korea win

Nigeria captain Azeezat Oduntan says the Flamingos must maintain their progress and continue fighting for their ultimate goal after securing a place in the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Nigeria confirmed their qualification for the next round with a 3-1 victory over North Korea on Friday, recovering from an opening-match defeat by Poland and a subsequent win against Puerto Rico.

The Flamingos needed a positive result against North Korea to keep their campaign on course, and they produced a strong performance against the defending champions.

Oluwakemisola Adegbuyi put Nigeria ahead after 15 minutes, before Oluebube Umejiaku extended the lead in the 38th minute.

Rodiat Yusuf added a third 11 minutes after half-time, leaving Nigeria in a commanding position. North Korea reduced the deficit late in the match when Yu Jong-Hyang scored from the penalty spot, but the Flamingos held on to complete a comfortable victory.

The result secured Nigeria’s place in the round of 16, while Yusuf was named player of the match for her performance.

Speaking to FIFA.com after the game, Oduntan praised her team-mates for their determination and concentration but stressed that qualification was only the next step in the tournament.

“I’m super proud of my teammates because they all came out and chose to play. We have to keep going and keep fighting. I feel excited, but we are not there yet because we just qualified for the next round.”