Musawa hails Flamingos for ending Africa’s U-17 World Cup title drought

Nigeria’s Flamingos celebrate defeat of Japan in the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has congratulated Nigeria’s Flamingos following their historic victory at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Nigeria defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to become the first African nation to win the competition.

Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled Nigeria’s lead shortly after the restart. Japan’s Fuki Ito reduced the deficit in the 80th minute, but the Flamingos held on to secure the title.

In a congratulatory message issued on Sunday, Minister Musawa described the victory as a proud moment for Nigeria and a landmark for African women’s football.

She said the triumph reflected the resilience, talent and determination of the young players, who recovered from an opening-match defeat to claim the title.

“This is more than a trophy. It is a story of young Nigerian girls who refused to give up, who rose after defeat, and who carried the hopes of a continent to the top of the world,” she said.

The Flamingos lost their opening group match 2-1 to Poland but recovered to win six consecutive matches, becoming the first team in the competition’s history to lose their opening fixture and still lift the trophy.

They defeated Puerto Rico 2-0 and defending champions Korea DPR 3-1 in the group stage before beating Mexico 2-1 in the round of 16. They then edged Venezuela in the quarter-finals and defeated Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals to reach their first final.

The victory also made Nigeria the first African country to win both the men’s and women’s FIFA U-17 World Cup titles.

The Minister singled out Umejiaku, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, and Bashiru for their contributions to the final victory. She also praised the entire squad for their teamwork and discipline.

Umejiaku, who began the tournament as a substitute, emerged as one of Nigeria’s most influential players, scoring against Poland, Korea DPR and Mexico before netting in the final.

Bashiru also made a significant impact after initially playing limited minutes. She scored twice in the semi-final victory over Brazil before opening the scoring against Japan.

The minister said the team’s achievement demonstrated the potential of Nigerian young people to excel on the global stage.

“Our girls have shown the world what Nigeria is made of. We celebrate you today, and we will continue to stand with you,” she said.

Ms Musawa also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to promoting the achievements of young Nigerians who inspire the country.

The triumph was Nigeria’s first title at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, improving on the team’s previous best finish of third place in 2022. It was also the first time an African nation had won the women’s tournament since its introduction in 2008.

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini