Nigeria’s U-17 girls, the Flamingos, booked their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating the Amazons of Benin Republic 5-3 in the second-leg qualifier in Lomé on Saturday, completing an 8-5 aggregate victory.
Akeem Busari’s side delivered an outstanding performance in the decisive final qualifying round to seal qualification for the tournament in Morocco. The Flamingos went into the return leg with a narrow 3-2 advantage from the first meeting in Ikenne, Ogun State, but left no doubt about their superiority with another attacking display.
Nigeria made a dream start as Mary Dustan opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Benin responded swiftly, drawing level just three minutes later, but the Flamingos regained control through Esther Stephen in the 15th minute before Queen Joseph added a third five minutes later to hand Nigeria a comfortable 3-1 lead inside the opening 20 minutes.
The hosts mounted a spirited comeback and kept the contest alive, but the Flamingos held their nerve when it mattered most. Queen Joseph completed her brace in the 76th minute, helping Nigeria secure a 5-3 victory on the day and confirm their place at the global showpiece.
With qualification secured, the Flamingos will now turn their attention to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, where they will be aiming to build on their growing reputation as one of the leading teams in women’s youth football.
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.
