Infantino hails Flamingos’ historic World Cup triumph
by The Eagle Online · The Eagle OnlineFIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has congratulated Nigeria’s Flamingos on their historic victory at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, describing their triumph as “well deserved”.
Nigeria defeated Japan 2-1 in the final played on November 7 at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Rabat, Morocco, to become the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The victory also made Nigeria the first African women’s team to win a FIFA World Cup title at any level.
Infantino, who congratulated the team shortly after the trophy presentation, praised their achievement and described it as a historic moment for the country and the continent.
“Congratulations to Nigeria, world champion U-17 Women’s World Cup of FIFA here in Rabat. First African team to ever win a (FIFA) Women’s U-17 World Cup — so many congratulations to Nigeria. Well deserved in the final,” he said.
The Flamingos recovered from a defeat to Poland in their opening match to win six consecutive games and claim the title.
Their winning run included a group-stage victory over defending champions North Korea, which helped revive their campaign.
In the final, Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled Nigeria’s lead shortly after the restart.
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Umejiaku’s 47th-minute goal, her fourth of the tournament, proved decisive and helped her secure the Golden Ball award as the competition’s best player.
Japan pulled one goal back in the 80th minute but Nigeria held on to secure the trophy.
The triumph marked a landmark achievement for Nigerian football and ended Africa’s long wait for a FIFA women’s world title.
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