Nigeria’s Flamingos have made it to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. They did this by beating Mexico 2-1 in a tough Round of 16 match on Thursday.
The Nigerian girls showed great determination and smart play throughout the game. They broke the deadlock just before half-time thanks to Oluebube Umejiaku.
Umejiaku kept her cool and scored in the 40th minute. This goal sent the Nigerian bench into cheers and gave the team a big boost going into the break.
In the second half, the Flamingos came back with fresh energy. They didn’t just sit back and defend their slim lead.
They kept pushing into the Mexican half, and their hard work paid off in the 72nd minute. Mary Dunstan took advantage of a quick attack and scored a fantastic goal, putting Nigeria ahead 2-0.
As the game came to an end, things got a bit tense. Mexico pushed hard, trying to get back into the game.
In extra time, Evelyn Delgado found the net for Mexico in the 90+11 minute, giving them a glimmer of hope.
But the Nigerian defence stood strong. Late substitutions like Chidera Chidi and Awawu Bashiru brought fresh energy, helping to hold off Mexico’s late push.
The referee's whistle finally ended the nervy 12 minutes of stoppage time, which also saw yellow cards for Nigeria’s Tosin Rafiu and Mexico’s Camila Campos.
With the 2-1 win, the Flamingos are now in the quarter-finals, keeping their dreams of winning the tournament alive.
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