According to a report by Punch on Sunday, October 18, 2026, Nigeria's Flamingos have started their campaign at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco with a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Poland, leaving the Nigerian team in third position in Group B after the opening round of matches.

The defeat means Nigeria must secure positive results in their remaining group fixtures to improve their chances of progressing to the knockout stage of the competition.

Poland secured their victory through goals from Wiktoria Skrzypczak and Natalia Skrok, while Oluebube Umejiaku scored Nigeria's only goal in the second half.

Skrzypczak opened the scoring in the 33rd minute after converting a penalty awarded against Nigeria. The European side maintained their advantage until halftime despite efforts from the Flamingos to restore parity.

In the second half, Poland doubled their advantage through Skrok in the 65th minute, putting Nigeria under considerable pressure.

However, the introduction of fresh players helped Nigeria improve their attacking performance, with Umejiaku reducing the deficit in the 79th minute.

Despite pushing forward in search of an equaliser, the Flamingos could not prevent Poland from claiming all three points.

Meanwhile, the other Group B encounter saw defending champions North Korea produce an impressive performance against Puerto Rico.

The Asian representatives recorded a convincing 6-0 victory, sending a strong warning to their group opponents.

Following Saturday's results, North Korea occupy first position in Group B with three points and a goal difference of positive six.

Poland sit second with three points after scoring twice and conceding once against Nigeria, giving them a goal difference of positive one.

Nigeria occupy third position without a point, having scored one goal and conceded two, leaving them with a goal difference of minus one.

Puerto Rico remain fourth with zero points and a goal difference of minus six following their heavy defeat against North Korea.

The standings indicate that Nigeria still have an opportunity to recover from their opening defeat, although their remaining matches will be crucial.

The Flamingos will face Puerto Rico on Tuesday, October 20, in their second group fixture.

A victory against Puerto Rico would give Nigeria their first three points and strengthen their chances of progressing beyond the group stage.

However, another defeat would place the Nigerian side in a difficult position ahead of their final group encounter.

Nigeria will conclude their Group B campaign against North Korea on Friday, October 23, in what could become a decisive fixture for their qualification hopes.

Meanwhile, Poland will face North Korea in their next match, with both teams looking to strengthen their positions at the top of the standings.

With two matches remaining for each team, Nigeria's qualification hopes are not over, but the Flamingos must improve their performances to avoid an early exit from the tournament.