Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Mexico 2-1 in a thrilling Round of 16 encounter in Morocco on Thursday.
Oluebube Umejiaku opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 40th minute, firing home to give the Flamingos a deserved lead before the half-time break. The Nigerian youngsters maintained their attacking pressure after the restart, with Mary Dunstan doubling their advantage in the 71st minute to put the team in a commanding position.
Mexico refused to surrender without a fight, as Emily Delgado pulled one back deep into stoppage time to set up a tense finish. However, the Flamingos held their nerve under late pressure to secure a hard-fought victory and advance to the last eight.
The victory sets up a quarter-final showdown with Venezuela on Sunday, November 1. The Flamingos will now hope to build on their impressive 3-1 triumph over defending champions North Korea in the group stage as they continue their quest for the title.
