Flamingos after World Cup triumph against Japan
FIFA 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.
Watch the video below:
𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐬’ 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐔-𝟏𝟕 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐡
Credit: IG | gianni_infantino
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Hannah Johnson is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over three years of professional experience in reporting, storytelling, and digital content creation. She blends traditional reporting skills with a modern, digital-first approach to journalism, producing content tailored for both web and social platforms. Hannah is skilled at turning complex topics into clear, engaging, and relatable stories that resonate with a wide audience. Her work reflects hands-on newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a strong commitment to accurate, audience-focused journalism.
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Source: Punch · Hannah Johnson
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