By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Anticipation is high as Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, brace for the draw ceremony of the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, set to take place today, Wednesday, June 4, in Rabat, Morocco.
This year’s tournament marks a historic expansion, with 24 nations set to compete for the title—an increase from the previous 16. It is the ninth edition of the competition since its launch in New Zealand 17 years ago.
The 24 qualified teams have been divided into four pots based on FIFA’s ranking system.
Host nation Morocco is automatically placed in Pot 1, alongside five top-ranked sides, including defending champions North Korea, reigning champions Spain, the USA, Japan, and Nigeria—who will be making their eighth appearance.
Pot Allocation:
Pot 1: Morocco, Spain, Japan, North Korea, USA, Nigeria
Pot 2: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, New Zealand, Ecuador
Pot 3: China, Cameroon, South Korea, Italy, France, Zambia
Pot 4: Paraguay, Costa Rica, Netherlands, Norway, Côte d’Ivoire, Samoa
The Flamingos, who claimed a historic third-place finish at the 2022 edition in India, will be aiming to go even further this time. The 2024 tournament will be held from October 17 to November 8 across cities in Morocco.
With the draw set to determine the path for each team, all eyes will be on the Flamingos as they prepare to build on their growing legacy on the global stage.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
