Nigeria’s Flamingos produced one of the defining results of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup by defeating two-time defending champions DPR Korea 3-1 in Morocco.
The victory secured second place in Group B with six points and sent Nigeria through to the Round of 16, where they will face Mexico. It also ended DPR Korea’s long unbeaten run in the competition, excluding matches decided by penalty shoot-outs.
Nigeria began the tournament with a 2-1 defeat by Poland but recovered quickly, beating debutants Puerto Rico 2-0. Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Precious Oscar scored in that match before the Flamingos delivered their most impressive performance against the holders.
Adegbuyi opened the scoring against DPR Korea, with Oluebube Umejiaku adding a second before half-time. Kanyinsola Yusuf then completed the victory with an outstanding free-kick.
The result adds another significant chapter to Nigeria’s long-standing success at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The Flamingos have featured in almost every edition since the tournament began in 2008, missing only the 2018 finals.
Their early campaigns included group-stage exits, but Nigeria reached the quarter-finals in 2010, 2012 and 2014. They scored 15 goals in four matches in 2010, while their 2012 run saw them score 15 times and concede only once before going out in the last eight.
Those performances established Nigeria as Africa’s most consistent representative in the competition, with other CAF qualifiers rarely progressing beyond the group stage.
The team achieved its greatest result in India in 2022. After overcoming the United States on penalties in the quarter-finals, Nigeria reached the semi-finals for the first time. They were beaten by Colombia in another shoot-out but recovered to claim bronze.
The Flamingos drew 3-3 with Germany in the third-place play-off before winning on penalties. That made Nigeria only the second African side to win a medal at the tournament, after Ghana in 2012. The bronze remains Nigeria’s best finish and a benchmark for African teams.
Nigeria returned to the quarter-finals in 2024 after winning all three group matches and scoring nine goals. In 2025, they progressed to the Round of 16. Their overall points tally and goal difference place them among the competition’s stronger teams.
Coach Akeem Busari’s current squad has continued that tradition, combining attacking quality with resilience. Adegbuyi, Umejiaku and Yusuf have become leading contributors in Morocco, following the goal-scoring figures of previous Flamingos generations.
Nigeria have also won multiple African qualifying tournaments and remain CAF’s flagship side at this level. Their 2022 bronze medal is still the continent’s standard, but the victory over the holders has increased hopes of another deep knockout-stage run.
Whatever happens next, Nigeria’s record of persistence and achievement has established the Flamingos as Africa’s leading force at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.