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According to a report by Vanguard on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Nigeria's U-17 women's national team, the Flamingos, have made history by reaching their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup final after defeating Brazil 3-1 in an entertaining semi-final encounter.
The Nigerian youngsters delivered an impressive performance against their South American opponents, demonstrating determination and attacking quality to secure a historic victory. Queen Joseph and Awawu Bashiru emerged as the key players, contributing all three goals that sent Nigeria into the final.
Joseph opened the scoring in the 56th minute, giving the Flamingos an important advantage as they continued to push forward in search of another goal.
Nigeria extended its lead in the 71st minute when Bashiru found the back of the net, putting additional pressure on Brazil. The forward later completed her brace in the 80th minute, scoring the third goal that effectively ended Brazil's hopes of reaching the final.
The victory represents a major milestone for Nigerian women's football, particularly at the youth level. Despite their previous appearances at the competition, the Flamingos had never reached the final since the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was established.
Nigeria's previous best performance came in 2022, when the team finished third to secure the bronze medal. However, their latest achievement has provided an opportunity to surpass that accomplishment and compete for the championship.
Following their impressive semi-final victory, the Flamingos will now turn their attention to Japan, who will be their opponents in the final. Both countries will be competing for the opportunity to lift the prestigious trophy.
The Nigerian side will head into the decisive encounter hoping to maintain the form that helped them overcome Brazil. Their attacking performance, particularly the contributions from Joseph and Bashiru, will be important as they prepare for the championship match.
A victory over Japan would see Nigeria claim its first FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title and establish another historic milestone for the country's women's football.
For the Flamingos, reaching the final is already a significant achievement, but the young Nigerian players now have an opportunity to complete their remarkable campaign by bringing the trophy home.