Nigeria’s under-17 women’s team delivered on Saturday night in Rabat, defeating Japan 2-1 in the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to claim a trophy no African nation had ever lifted. The victory, secured under head coach Akeem Busari, also completed a rare double for the country, which had already won the boys’ edition of the tournament five times, in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
The match turned on two goals either side of halftime. Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring in the 39th minute, her long-range effort slipping through the hands of Japan goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki and into the net. It was her third goal of the tournament, coming after a brace against Brazil in the semifinals. Oluebube Umejiaku then extended the lead just two minutes after the restart, finishing clinically in the 47th minute.
Additional reference context is available at https://www.forbesafrica.com/current-affairs/2026/11/10/nigerias-historic-double-with-maiden-u-17-womens-world-cup-triumph/.
Japan worked its way back through Fuki Ito, whose 80th-minute strike reduced the deficit, and pressed for an equalizer in the closing stages. Nigeria held firm through those final ten minutes to secure the trophy.
The campaign had not begun smoothly, though. The Flamingos opened with a 2-1 defeat by Poland, and captain Harmony Chidi credited the team’s recovery from that setback as central to the final outcome. “We talked to each other to make sure everyone was at peace and that we worked together, and it really came true for us,” she said.
Chidi described the achievement as something her teammates would carry with them. “It’s a great thing, it’s an honor, it’s something to be happy about. I thank my teammates, the coaching staff, and everyone who was praying for us and for the hard work. I think it has really paid off for us,” she told local reporters.
Busari, who guided the squad through the tournament, marked the win in a published video with a message aimed squarely at supporters back home. “We are champions of Africa and champions of the world. We are proud of our country, and we want to make our country proud every day,” he said.
The result places Nigeria in unfamiliar territory in the competition’s history books. As Forbes Africa noted in its coverage of the final, the triumph made Nigeria the first African nation to win the women’s tournament and the first country on the continent to hold FIFA U-17 World Cup titles in both the men’s and women’s categories.
For a program that stumbled in its opening match, the run through the knockout rounds, capped by the semifinal win over Brazil and the final victory over Japan, represents a sustained stretch of execution under pressure. The Flamingos conceded late against Japan but closed out the game, and with it a continental first, on the biggest stage available to players at this age level. Whether Busari and this core of players can convert youth success into senior-level results is now the question Nigerian football faces.