Nigeria vs Benin: Flamingos One Step Away from 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup

Nigeria’s Flamingos are now just two matches away from securing a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup after setting up a final-round qualifying showdown against Benin Republic.

The Nigerian under-17 women's national team booked their spot in the decisive phase of the African qualification series following a ruthless 11-0 aggregate demolition of Guinea.

Having already established a commanding 5-0 advantage from the first leg held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, the Flamingos finished the job in emphatic fashion on home soil. Coach Akeem Busari’s side recorded a stylish 6-0 victory over the Baby Syli Stars in the return leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.

The hosts broke the deadlock after just nine minutes when Oluwakemi Adegbuyi converted a well-timed delivery from Queen Joseph. Relentless attacking pressure saw captain Harmony Chidi double the lead shortly after with a spectacular long-range effort.

The goals continued to flow as Queen Joseph added a third in the 23rd minute, before Adegbuyi claimed her second of the match with a clinical header just past the half-hour mark.

Talismanic forward Chidi then mirrored her teammate's feat, netting her second of the afternoon only two minutes later to send the rampant Nigerians into the interval with a five-goal cushion. Substitute Precious Oscar wrapped up the scoring in the 70th minute to complete the comprehensive rout.

Following their spectacular performance, the squad received a significant financial boost. The proprietor of Remo Stars FC, Hon. Kunle Soname, fulfilled a pre-match pledge of ₦750,000 for every goal scored, rewarding the team with a total payout of ₦4.5 million.

Standing between the Flamingos and a ticket to the global tournament are Benin Republic’s Baby Squirrels, who advanced to the final phase after overcoming Sierra Leone 5-1 on aggregate. Due to venue shortfalls in their respective home nations, both legs of that tie were staged in Lomé, Togo, where Benin secured a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture.

The highly anticipated final qualification tie between Nigeria and Benin is scheduled to take place next month. The first leg will be played on the weekend of 3–5 July, with the decisive second leg locked in for 10–12 July.

The aggregate winner of this West African derby will book their place at the global showpiece, which will be hosted by Morocco from 17 October to 7 November 2026.