Flamingos Shine! Nigeria Beat North Korea 3-1 As Ghana Also Secure Knockout Spot

Nigeria and Ghana have qualified for the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after recording victories in their final group-stage matches, keeping their hopes of progressing further in the competition alive.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Nigeria secured qualification on Friday with an impressive 3-1 victory over North Korea. The result saw the Nigerian team finish second in Group B with six points from three matches.

The victory marked an important achievement for Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, which will now turn its attention to the knockout stage as it seeks to continue its campaign for the tournament title.

Ghana also booked a place in the Round of 16 after defeating Canada 2-0 on Saturday. The win took the Ghanaian side to four points from three matches, securing second place in Group C behind Brazil, who finished top with seven points.

Ghana’s victory made the country the latest African representative to secure qualification for the knockout phase, joining Nigeria in the next round.

With both West African nations through to the Round of 16, attention will now shift to their upcoming fixtures as they seek to advance further and strengthen Africa’s presence in the competition.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s preparations for another international assignment are gathering momentum, with Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle inviting 31 home-based players to the Olympic Eagles squad ahead of the country’s 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying encounter against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The invited players are expected to arrive at the AM2PM Hotel in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on Sunday, October 25, to begin preparations for the two-legged second-round qualifying tie.

The squad consists of four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and 10 forwards. Sporting Lagos and Ikorodu City are among the clubs with multiple players selected for the assignment.

Nigeria received a bye in the first qualifying round, while DR Congo advanced after overcoming Mauritania across two legs.

The first leg of the encounter is scheduled for November 13 at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi, while the return leg will take place on November 17 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State.

The Olympic Eagles must overcome DR Congo to reach the final qualifying round, scheduled to take place in Egypt in 2027. The tournament will determine Africa’s representatives in the men’s football competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Nigeria will be seeking a return to the Olympic men’s football tournament after missing the last two editions. The country has a proud history in the competition, having won gold at Atlanta 1996, silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio 2016.