Winning U-17 World Cup will be unforgettable — Flamingos captain

Flamingos captain, Harmony Chidi Photo: FIFA

Nigeria U-17 women’s team captain, Harmony Chidi, has described winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as a dream come true, saying the achievement would remain an unforgettable moment for the country and the players.

In a post obtained from FIFA’s website on Friday, Chidi made the remarks ahead of the Flamingos’ final against Japan at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Nigerian captain said reaching the final was already a significant achievement but stressed that lifting the trophy would make the occasion even more special for the team, their coaches and the entire country.

“I think it would be a great thing, a joy, and would never be forgotten in life,” Chidi said in an interview with FIFA.

“Reaching the final is a very big thing, it’s a great thing and it’s something that we have dreamed of. Winning would be something myself, my country, my team-mates, our coaches, and everybody would be proud of.”

The Flamingos booked their place in the final after recovering from a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening match to record five consecutive victories against Puerto Rico, DPR Korea, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil.

Head coach Akeem Busari said the team’s turnaround was achieved through psychological guidance, improved mentality and a renewed commitment to their game plan.

According to him, the players needed encouragement and counselling after their opening defeat to restore their confidence and focus on the remaining matches.

“After the first game, we needed to sit them down, psychologically talk to them, talk about our game plan and all we have been doing in the sessions,” Busari told FIFA.

“We needed to change our attitude and character, but because of their age, we just needed to talk to them, to counsel them, and those are the points that make the difference.”

Busari acknowledged Japan’s quality ahead of the final, noting that the Asian side had demonstrated impressive qualities in their previous matches, including their performance against DPR Korea.

However, he insisted that the outcome would depend largely on the mentality, character and attitude both teams brought into the encounter.

“From what we saw against DPR Korea, I think it’s the core of what we should expect more of from the Japanese,” he said.

“But it’s a different ballgame because, for both us and them, the game will not be the same. The character, mentality and attitude which you approach every game with, and at every other level too, is what really matters.”

The Nigerian coach also credited his players for the team’s impressive campaign, describing them as the major driving force behind the achievement.

“It would be a plus for Africa, for Nigeria, for my own career as a person, but also for the players as well – they are the gladiators. Without them, we could not do anything,” he said.

He added that the team remained focused on completing the job, urging the players to maintain their fighting spirit and understand that reaching the final was not the end of their mission.

“We want to make our mentality right, we want to put our attitude down to the players as well so they can see the job is not yet done; we’re still on the track race. We’ll just have to really fight on until we get there,” Busari said.

The Flamingos will now face Japan in the final, with Nigeria seeking to make history by winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time.