By Ayobami Okerinde
Nigeria’s Flamingos have advanced to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating defending champions North Korea 3-1 in their final Group B match.
The Flamingos secured the victory at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, Morocco on Friday.
Nigeria went into the encounter needing a win to guarantee their progress after losing to Poland in their second match, having opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico.
Akeem Busari’s side rose to the occasion, with Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opening the scoring in the 15th minute.
Oluebube Umejiaku extended Nigeria’s lead in the 38th minute, beating North Korea’s high defensive line before finishing past the goalkeeper.
Kanyisola Yusuf then put the Flamingos firmly in control with a third goal early in 56th minutes
North Korea pulled one back through a penalty in the 82nd minutes, but Nigeria held firm defensively to preserve their two-goal advantage and secure the victory.
The result saw Nigeria finish second in Group B behind North Korea, who claimed top spot on goals scored. Poland ended the group stage in third place despite finishing level on points with the top two teams.
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