Flamingos: All hail world champions!

Flamingos after World Cup triumph against Japan

ELEVEN years after the Golden Eaglets won a FIFA trophy, Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team have made the country proud again. On Saturday in Rabat, Morocco, the Flamingos beat Japan 2-1 in the final of the women’s tournament to become the teenage world champions for the first time in their history.

On Monday, the champions returned home to rapturous celebrations from Nigerians, who had suffered with their national teams in lean times.

Up to that win, the Flamingos’ best was a third-place finish at the 2022 finals in India.

Instead of closing ranks to celebrate, politicians are souring the moments with their childish bickering. The Presidency and Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress in the 2027 elections, are warring publicly over access to the victorious team. This is unfortunate. The girls and their coaches are all Nigerians, so all Nigerians should have access to them, irrespective of political bent.

The Flamingos broke some records along the way. The Akeem Busari-coached team are the first African side to win the FIFA U-17 tournament since its inception in 2008. That took some effort.

After losing 2-1 to Poland in Group B, the Nigerian teenagers are also the first team to lose their opening match and go on to claim the trophy with their victory over Japan, the 2014 U-17 women’s champions.

Undoubtedly, the Flamingos never looked back after the opening day loss. They upped their flight path in the second group match, defeating Puerto Rico 2-0. In the final Group B match, the girls made light work of North Korea, 3-1.

It was a huge achievement. North Korea were consecutive champions in 2024 and 2025 and were aiming to become the first team to win three straight FIFA trophies. At that point, the Flamingos snapped North Korea’s 18-match unbeaten run in the tournament, which dated back to their 4-1 loss to Germany in 2018. North Korea are the most successful team with four wins in 2008 (the inaugural edition), 2016, 2024 and 2025.

The Flamingos made more waves in the round of 16, dispatching Mexico 2-1. Venezuela suffered a similar fate in the quarter-finals, losing 1-0 to the Nigerians.

The winning run saw the Nigerians claiming the scalp of Brazil 3-1 in the semifinal before their historic 2-1 victory over Japan with goals from Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku.

The win is a tonic for Nigerian football, which has been in the doldrums for some time. Although the Eaglets have won the most tournaments (five), Nigeria last won a global tournament in 2015.

In the African qualifiers, the Flamingos defeated Guinea 11-0 and Benin Republic 8-5.

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These days, the Eaglets hardly make it out of the African qualifiers.

The light has dimmed for the Super Falcons: The record-extending 11-time African women’s champions did not qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The Falcons had qualified for the finals from inception at China ’91 until now.

Amidst an administrative crisis and incompetence that have seen FIFA approve an interim board for the Nigeria Football Federation, the excitement over the Flamingos’ victory might soon evaporate.

Nigeria’s men’s national team, the Super Eagles, did not qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup Finals. Four years later, the Eagles were sent packing in the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

It was a sobering moment for Nigeria: 10 African teams, including debutants Cape Verde, qualified for the expanded finals. Nigeria had not missed consecutive World Cups since the Eagles debuted at USA ’94, as they missed out only at Germany 2006.

President Bola Tinubu splashed cash ($100,000 per player and $50,000 per coach), national merit awards and house gifts on the Falcons after winning the Women’s AFCON title in 2025. He is expected to reward the Flamingos for putting Nigeria on the global map again.

Strangely, the hefty rewards did not motivate the Falcons players in the quest for a Brazil 2027 World Cup ticket.

So, beyond the fanfare and rewards, Nigeria should build on this heartwarming triumph. Nigeria should invest in the girls, nurturing them carefully to fill in the gaps at the senior level.

England is a good example. Most players in the England national team rose through the U-17 ranks and now play for the Three Lions. Nigeria should not forget that.

The three tiers of government should invest in sports facilities where schoolchildren and youngsters can train and be picked to represent the country.

Nigeria can replicate, or even surpass, North Korea’s consecutive victories.

So, as the winning euphoria continues, the NFF should begin preparations for the 2027 FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup immediately.