Nigeria’s Flamingos have moved to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after a 2-1 win over Mexico in their Round of 16 match on Thursday.
Goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Mary Dunstan helped the Nigerian team at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, Morocco. They are now aiming for their second semi-final spot in four years.
Umejiaku scored first in the 40th minute, giving Nigeria a well-deserved lead before halftime.
The Flamingos kept their lead into the second half and increased it in the 71st minute when Dunstan scored, putting the Nigerian girls in a strong position.
Mexico did not give up easily. Emily Delgado scored in the 90th minute of stoppage time, cutting Nigeria's lead, but the Flamingos held on for the win.
This victory continues the Flamingos’ journey after their impressive 3-1 win against defending champions DPR Korea in their last group match.
That win ended DPR Korea’s long run of 18 matches without a loss in regulation time at the U-17 Women’s World Cup, a streak that lasted since 2018.
Nigeria started their Group B campaign with a 2-1 loss to Poland. They bounced back with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico.
They finished second in the group with six points from three matches, scoring six goals and allowing four.
Against Mexico, the Flamingos built on the confidence from their win over DPR Korea, getting the goals they needed in a tough knockout match.
Mexico also bounced back from a 2-0 loss to Spain, winning against Chile 3-1 and Australia 1-0 to finish second in Group F with six points.
Their advancement to the Round of 16 suggested they would challenge Nigeria, but the Flamingos showed they were more effective when it counted.
Thursday’s win keeps Nigeria’s hopes alive for a better result than in past tournaments. The Flamingos won bronze in the 2022 edition in India after reaching the semi-finals.
Nigeria will play against Venezuela in the quarter-finals on Sunday, 1 November, at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, Pitch 4, in Salé. The match is set to kick off at 7 p.m. Nigerian time.
Venezuela secured their spot in the last eight by beating reigning European champions Germany, which was a big surprise.
The South Americans will test the Flamingos again, who need to stay sharp in attack and solid in defense to move forward in Morocco.
With Mexico now behind them, Nigeria will focus on a Venezuelan team that has already shown it can take down top teams.
For the Flamingos, Sunday’s match is a chance to get closer to another semi-final and boost their title hopes.
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