Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have made history by defeating Japan 2-1 in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to secure the country’s first-ever title in the competition.

The historic victory, recorded on Saturday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, also made Nigeria the first African nation to lift the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup trophy.

Midfielder Awawu Bashiru and forward Oluebube Umejiaku scored the decisive goals for Nigeria, while Fuki Ito found the net for Japan as the Flamingos held on to their advantage to complete a landmark achievement for Nigerian and African women’s football.

Nigeria broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when Bashiru unleashed a long-range effort that Japanese goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki failed to hold, allowing the ball to cross the goal line.

The Flamingos returned from the break with renewed attacking intent and doubled their advantage shortly after the restart. Umejiaku capitalised on a defensive opening from Japan before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Japan responded with three substitutions in an attempt to turn the match around. The changes increased their attacking threat, but Nigeria initially maintained its defensive organisation and restricted the Japanese side’s opportunities.

Japan eventually reduced the deficit in the 80th minute through Ito, who capitalised on an opening in the Nigerian defence to make the score 2-1.

The late goal created a tense finish as Japan pushed forward in search of an equaliser. However, Nigeria remained resilient, with the Flamingos defending their lead and also coming close to extending it when an attempt struck the crossbar.

Despite four minutes of additional time and sustained Japanese pressure, the Nigerian defence held firm. A goal-bound effort was blocked before the referee sounded the final whistle, confirming Nigeria’s historic triumph.

The victory completed an impressive run of six consecutive wins following the Flamingos’ opening 2-1 defeat to Poland in the group stage.

Nigeria recovered from that setback with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico and a 3-1 win against defending champions Korea DPR to progress from their group.

They subsequently defeated Mexico 2-1 in the round of 16, overcame Venezuela 1-0 in the quarter-finals and secured a 3-1 victory over Brazil in the semi-finals to reach the championship match.

Before this triumph, Nigeria’s best performance in the tournament was a third-place finish in the 2022 edition. Their qualification for the 2026 final had already marked a historic milestone, as they became the first African team to reach the competition’s championship match.

Japan, meanwhile, entered the final with considerable experience, having previously appeared in three championship matches in 2010, 2014 and 2016. The Japanese team won the title in 2014, making the 2026 encounter another significant chapter in the rivalry between the two nations at youth level.

Nigeria’s 2-1 victory therefore represents more than another international football achievement. It marks a breakthrough for African women’s football, demonstrating the capacity of the continent’s young players to compete for and win major global honours.

For the Flamingos, the historic triumph ends their long pursuit of the title and establishes Nigeria as champions of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria’s Flamingos defeat Japan 2-1 to win their maiden FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title, becoming the first African nation to claim the trophy.