FIFAU17FWC: Nigeria’s Flamingoes Are World Champions Beat Japan 2-1.
…Nigeria made an Encore to be First African Country To win U17 Title 41 Years after Golden Eaglets won in Beijing China.
Nigeria on Saturday night in Rabat Morocco emerged the first African team to win the world U17 women’s football title 41 years after The same age group men’s team was first to win the title in Beijing China.
The Fabulous Flamingoes of Nigeria came from a faulty trip of a start in their first match to emerge world champions by beating former champions Japan 2-1.
The match took a pattern with Nigeria scoring the opener in the 39th minute when Mary Dunstan found Awawu Bashiru with a long pass to score. Nigeria used same style of long passes as Esther Stephen lobbed a long one to Oluebube Umejiaku, a girl with massive football sense who tipped the ball over unrushing Japanese Goalkeeper for the 2nd goal in the 47th minute.
Nigeria missed two more scoring chances as their shots hot the woodwork twice but were more careful being injured. Smallish stature Oluwakemi Adegbuyi was shoved around by the Japanese defence who were lucky to escape the whistle of American Ref Natalie Simon. There was supposed to be a straight red card on one moment. The four match officials were from USA and Canada.
As usual just as the Nigerian team was trying to reorganise their strength in the back, the Japanese Ito sisters, Anri combined pretty well with Fuki with a pass for Fuki to score in the 80th minute bringing much tension to Nigerians on the pitch in Morocco and at home in all parts of Nigeria as they turned to prayer Warriors also watching extent of play per the minutes.
I report that social media went gaga with congratulatory messages but Patmos Media cannot report authentically who the celebrations went at ‘joints’ a Nigerian language for where Isi-ewu (goat head) and drinks are used for celebrations as it was done in 1885 when the Eaglets got their prefix Golden Eaglets and here comes the Fabulous Flamingoes.
I reported that match and Bella Momoh my younger guy from Abadina community of the University of Ibadan was the highest scorer with six goals.
To reach the finals, Japan had Jammed Zambia 5-0, floored France 2-0, vented off Venezuela 2-0, cleaned Kenya 3-1 at the round of 16 games, piped Ghana 1-0 in the quarterfinal and shocked arch rival and four times defending champions North Korea from claiming 3rd back to back titles 4-1 via penalty shootouts after 1-1 at Full-time.
Nigeria fell to Poland 1-2, beat Puerto Rico 2-0, shocked Defending champions North Korea 3-1 in last group game; stopped the Mexican waves 2-1 at the round of 16, vented off Venezuela by a lone goal in the quarterfinal and checkmated the Tiki-taka flow of Brazilian football 3-1 in the semifinal.
Japan in their 10th appearances won the title in 2014; won Silver twice in 2010 and 2016 and reached quarterfinals 6 times in 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Nigeria in their 9 appearances has no enviable record like Japan as Nigeria won Bronze in 2022, made quarterfinals 4 times in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2024 but lost at earier rounds in 2008, 2016 and 2025. That means Japan has more experiences at the party.
Let it be written in the annals of world football history that the Fabulous Flamingoes won the Hiroshima war. Africa hosted the world and won the world. Nigeria won for Africa.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
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