Nigeria's Flamingos face holders North Korea on Friday afternoon at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé, knowing that a win would put them in the last 16 of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and a draw would leave them on the brink. Kick-off in the Group B finale is 4pm Nigerian time.

Poland meet Puerto Rico at the same hour.

The Koreans are top on six points. They beat Puerto Rico 6-0 and Poland 6-1, twelve goals scored and one conceded. The 2025 winners are chasing a third consecutive title.

Nigeria are second on three points with a goal difference of plus one. Poland also have three, but the thrashing by the Koreans dropped them to minus four. Puerto Rico have none.

Akeem Busari's side got here the hard way. They lost 2-1 to Poland on the opening day, then beat Puerto Rico 2-0 on Tuesday through Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and substitute Precious Oscar.

What the Flamingos need

The format helps. Twenty-four teams are split into six groups of four. The top two in each go through with the four best third-placed sides to a round of 16 played on 28 and 29 October.

A win takes Nigeria to six points. That settles it.

A draw lifts them to four. They would finish second unless Poland beat Puerto Rico, and even in that case they would be third on four points, a total the third-placed team in Group E cannot reach because Kenya and Samoa are both still pointless. Simple enough.

Defeat is where it gets uncomfortable. Nigeria would stay on three points and, with Puerto Rico on minus eight, would almost certainly still finish third, but the ranking of third-placed teams across the six groups is decided on points, then goal difference, then goals scored, then fair play. Argentina, Venezuela and Canada all sit third on three points with a round to play. The size of any loss could matter.

Busari's message

The coach is under no illusions about the opponent. “DPR Korea are beating everybody,” Busari told FIFA, before adding that “it shows how powerful they are.”

He also sees a team that is growing. After Tuesday's win he admitted “Today, we were not exceptional.” Yet he also felt that “we're getting better as the tournament is getting tougher”. Oscar, whose late goal finally killed off Puerto Rico, said the three points “will boost me and my teammates to come out stronger in the game against North Korea.”

History offers a little encouragement. Nigeria beat the Koreans 3-2 at this tournament in 2010, though North Korea won the 2016 meeting 3-0.

Our view

The Flamingos do not have to beat the champions, only avoid losing to them, and that changes the shape of the afternoon. Sitting deep for ninety minutes against a side averaging six goals a game is its own risk. Busari's players were calmer against Puerto Rico than against Poland. They will need that composure in Salé, and the sharpness in front of goal that deserted them in the first half on Tuesday.

A point would do. Anything more would be a statement from the 2022 bronze medallists.

Catch up on the win over Puerto Rico and the opening defeat to Poland.

This article was most recently revised and updated 22 seconds ago