Nigeria’s U-17 girls, the Flamingos, booked their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating the Benin Republic 5-3 in the second leg of their final qualifying tie in Lomé on Saturday.
The victory handed Nigeria an 8-5 aggregate triumph, having secured a narrow 3-2 win in the first leg played in Ikenne, Ogun State, last weekend.
Coached by Akeem Busari, the Flamingos produced a dominant attacking display in the return leg to confirm their qualification for the global tournament in Morocco.
Nigeria made a flying start, with Mary Dustan opening the scoring in the sixth minute. Benin responded just three minutes later to level the contest, but the Flamingos quickly regained control.
Esther Stephen restored Nigeria’s lead in the 15th minute before Queen Joseph added a third five minutes later to give the visitors a comfortable 3-1 advantage within the opening 20 minutes.
The Beninese side mounted a spirited comeback and managed to stay in the contest, but the Flamingos remained composed and continued to threaten going forward.
Queen Joseph completed her brace in the 76th minute as Nigeria wrapped up an entertaining 5-3 victory, ensuring qualification with an emphatic aggregate success.
The Flamingos will now represent Nigeria at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, where they will be aiming to continue their impressive rise on the international stage.
