Historic! Nigeria’s Flamingos Stun Brazil 3-1 To Reach First-Ever U-17 Women’s World Cup Final

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have made history by reaching the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after recording an impressive 3-1 victory over Brazil in their semi-final encounter.

The historic match took place on Wednesday night, November 4, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex Pitch 3 in Rabat, Morocco, making Nigeria the first African country to reach the final of the competition.

The Flamingos secured their place in the final through goals from Queen Joseph and Awawu Bashiru, who scored twice on her first start of the tournament. Brazil managed to score a late consolation goal through Greise Kelly.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the victory represents a significant achievement for Nigerian and African football, particularly as the team recovered from a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group-stage match to reach the final.

Nigeria also became only the second team since 2014 to reach the tournament’s final after losing its opening group match.

Speaking after the encounter, head coach Akeem Busari expressed delight over the team’s achievement, describing the qualification as a major milestone for the country and its football development.

He praised the players for their determination, discipline and ability to overcome a technically strong Brazilian side, explaining that the team focused on disrupting Brazil’s passing patterns to limit their attacking threat.

Busari acknowledged that the encounter was difficult but commended his players for showing character and maintaining their tactical discipline throughout the match.

Meanwhile, Bashiru expressed excitement after delivering an outstanding performance on her first start of the tournament. The winger had played only 73 minutes before the semi-final but produced two goals to help Nigeria secure the historic victory. Her impressive display also earned her the Player of the Match award.

The young forward said she was delighted with the opportunity to start the match and contribute significantly to the team’s qualification for the final.

On the other hand, Brazil’s head coach, Rilany Silva, attributed her team’s defeat to technical mistakes, particularly misplaced passes, which allowed Nigeria to take advantage of its physical strength.

Following the semi-final results, Brazil will face North Korea in Saturday’s third-place play-off, while Nigeria will battle Japan in the final.

The Flamingos will now aim to make history once again by defeating Japan and securing their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.