Nigeria’s Flamingos secured a place in the Round of 16 at the ongoing 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after recording an impressive 3-1 victory over defending champions North Korea in their final group-stage match.
Despite North Korea’s dominance in the opening exchanges, the Flamingos took the lead in the 25th minute through Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, who netted her second goal of the tournament.
The goal boosted Nigeria’s confidence, and the team began to create more scoring opportunities as the first half progressed.
Their pressure paid off in the 38th minute when Olibube Umejiaku doubled Nigeria’s advantage, giving the Flamingos a comfortable lead heading into the break.
Nigeria continued their impressive display after the restart, with Kanyisola Yusuf finding the back of the net four minutes before the hour mark to extend the lead to 3-0.
North Korea pulled one back in the 82nd minute after a VAR review led to the award of a penalty, which Jong Hyang converted.
However, the Flamingos held on to their advantage to claim a convincing victory and seal their place in the knockout stage of the competition.
2026 U-17 WWC: Flamingos beat North Korea to secure Round of 16 spot