Nigeria’s Flamingos have advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Mexico 2-1 in their Round of 16 encounter on Thursday.
Goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Mary Dunstan secured victory for the Nigerian side at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, Morocco, as they continued their pursuit of a second appearance in the competition’s semi-finals in the last four years.
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Umejiaku opened the scoring in the 40th minute, giving Nigeria a deserved advantage before the break.
The Flamingos maintained their lead into the second half and doubled their advantage in the 71st minute when Dunstan found the net to put the Nigerian girls in a commanding position.
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Mexico, however, refused to surrender without a fight. Emily Delgado scored in the 90th minute of stoppage time to reduce the deficit, but Nigeria held on to secure their place in the last eight.
The victory extends the Flamingos’ campaign following their impressive 3-1 triumph over defending champions DPR Korea in their final group match.
That result ended DPR Korea’s run of 18 consecutive matches without a defeat in regulation time at the U-17 Women’s World Cup, dating back to 2018.
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Nigeria began their Group B campaign with a 2-1 loss to Poland before responding with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico.
They finished second in the group with six points from three matches, scoring six goals and conceding four.
Against Mexico, the Flamingos built on the confidence gained from their victory over DPR Korea, producing the goals needed to navigate a potentially difficult knockout encounter.
Mexico had also recovered from an opening 2-0 defeat to Spain, beating Chile 3-1 and Australia 1-0 to finish second in Group F with six points.
Their progress to the Round of 16 suggested they would provide a stern test for Nigeria, but the Flamingos proved more clinical when it mattered.
Thursday’s victory keeps alive Nigeria’s hopes of improving on their previous performances at the competition. The Flamingos won bronze at the 2022 edition in India after reaching the semi-finals.
Venezuela await Flamingos
Nigeria will face Venezuela in the quarter-finals on Sunday, 1 November, at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, Pitch 4, in Salé. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nigerian time.
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Venezuela secured their place in the last eight with a major upset, defeating reigning European champions Germany.
The South Americans will present another test for the Flamingos, who must maintain their attacking efficiency and defensive discipline to progress further in Morocco.
With Mexico now behind them, Nigeria will turn their attention to a Venezuelan side that has already shown it can upset the tournament favourites.
For the Flamingos, Sunday’s encounter offers a chance to move within one victory of another semi-final appearance and strengthen their title bid.
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