Nigeria’s Flamingos have secured qualification for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating defending champions North Korea 3-1 in their final Group B fixture.
The decisive victory was recorded on Friday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, Morocco, as Nigeria bounced back from their second-match defeat to Poland to seal their place in the next round.
The Flamingos had opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico but went into the encounter against North Korea needing victory to guarantee progression.
Akeem Busari’s side delivered when it mattered, taking the lead in the 15th minute through Oluwakemi Adegbuyi.
Nigeria doubled their advantage three minutes before half-time when Oluebube Umejiaku broke beyond North Korea’s high defensive line before calmly finishing past the goalkeeper in the 38th minute.
Kanyisola Yusuf extended the Flamingos’ lead in the 56th minute, putting Nigeria firmly in control of the contest.
North Korea pulled a goal back from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute, but Nigeria held on to secure an impressive victory over the defending champions and confirm their place in the knockout stage.
The result saw Nigeria finish second in Group B, behind North Korea, who claimed top spot on goals scored. Poland finished third despite ending the group stage level on points with the top two teams.
