Guinea First, Then World Cup Giants? Nigeria’s Potential Opponents Revealed

The draw, conducted at FIFA headquarters on May 21, placed the African representative occupying CAF Slot 1 in Group B alongside defending champions Korea DPR, Poland and Puerto Rico.

Although Nigeria are yet to secure qualification for the tournament, the Flamingos could take the CAF Slot 1 position if they successfully navigate the African qualifiers.

For now, the team’s focus remains on their second-round qualifying clash against Guinea.

Coach Akeem Busari’s side have already arrived in Abidjan ahead of Saturday’s first-leg encounter, while the return fixture is scheduled for May 30 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.

Nigeria received a bye into the second qualifying round and must overcome Guinea to keep alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup.

If the Flamingos advance on aggregate, they will face either Benin Republic or Sierra Leone in the final qualifying round for a ticket to Morocco 2026.

The possibility of facing powerhouse Korea DPR, regarded as one of the strongest teams in women’s youth football, adds further significance to Nigeria’s qualification campaign. Poland and tournament debutants Puerto Rico are the other teams drawn in the group.

The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Morocco from October 17 to November 7, with 24 countries competing in six groups under the expanded tournament format.

Below is the full draw for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup:

Group A: Morocco, New Zealand, Germany, Argentina

Group B: Korea DPR, Puerto Rico, Poland, CAF 1

Group C: Canada, Brazil, Norway, CAF 2

Group D: Japan, CAF 3, France, Venezuela

Group E: USA, Samoa, CAF 4, China PR

Group F: Spain, Mexico, Australia, Chile