First Lady celebrates Flamingos after historic U-17 World Cup title win

The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has congratulated the Flamingos following their historic victory at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, describing their achievement as a triumph of resilience and commitment.

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The Flamingos became the first African team to win the competition after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat.

In a congratulatory message, Mrs Tinubu said she was pleased to join Nigerians in celebrating the team’s achievement, which she said had placed the country and Africa at the top of women’s football.

“Your path to victory was not an easy one. You shrugged off your shaky start and took on the world, winning six matches in a row on your way to the golden trophy, confirming what others already know – that Nigerians are world beaters,” she said.

The First Lady also praised the players, head coach Akeem Busari and the technical crew for their teamwork, dedication and hard work.

“Through your team spirit, dedication and hard work, Nigeria is again the toast of the world,” she added.

The Flamingos made history after recovering from a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group match to win six consecutive games and claim their first title in the tournament.

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They subsequently defeated Puerto Rico 2-0 and defending champions Korea DPR 3-1 before progressing to the knockout rounds.

Nigeria beat Mexico 2-1 in the round of 16 and edged Venezuela in the quarter-finals, with Azeezat Oduntan scoring the decisive penalty in the 89th minute.

The team then produced one of their best performances of the competition, defeating Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals to reach the final for the first time.

READ ALSO: FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Triumph: Dikko, Olopade, Ahmadu reward Flamingos

Against Japan, Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled Nigeria’s lead shortly after the restart.

Japan pulled one back through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian girls held on through the closing stages to secure the title.

The victory marked a significant improvement on Nigeria’s previous best performance at the competition, a bronze-medal finish in 2022.

It also ended Japan’s hopes of winning a second title. The Asian side had previously won the competition in 2014 and finished runners-up in 2010 and 2016.

Nigeria’s triumph is the first time an African country has won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, giving the continent a landmark achievement in women’s football.

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Tunde Eludini

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

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