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Nigeria’s Flamingos have secured a place in the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup following a convincing 3-1 victory over defending champions North Korea in their final Group B encounter.
According to a report by Flashscore on Friday, October 23, 2026, the Nigerian youngsters produced an impressive display at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, scoring twice before the interval and adding another goal in the second half to claim all three points.
The Flamingos made an encouraging start and broke the deadlock in the 15th minute through Oluwakemi Adegbuyi. The forward finished off a pass from Mary Dunstan to give Nigeria an early advantage.
Nigeria continued to put pressure on their opponents and extended their lead in the 38th minute. Tosin Rafiu provided the assist for Oluebube Umejiaku, who converted the opportunity to make it 2-0.
The Nigerian team maintained their two-goal cushion until half-time, leaving the defending champions with a difficult task ahead of the second half.
North Korea had entered the match with victories over Puerto Rico and Poland, but struggled to impose themselves against a determined Nigerian side.
After the restart, the Flamingos remained aggressive and increased their advantage in the 58th minute. Kanyinsola Yusuf found the back of the net to make it 3-0, putting Nigeria in a commanding position.
North Korea managed to pull one goal back in the 82nd minute through Yu Jong-Hyang, but the late strike was insufficient to change the outcome.
Nigeria successfully protected their lead until the final whistle, completing an important victory over the reigning champions.
The result followed a difficult start to the competition for the Flamingos, who suffered a 2-1 defeat to Poland before bouncing back with a 2-0 win against Puerto Rico.
Nigeria finished second in Group B behind North Korea, earning qualification for the knockout stages of the tournament. The victory also gives the youngsters renewed confidence as they prepare for their round-of-16 challenge.