Nigeria's Flamingos are one match away from winning their first FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title after defeating Brazil 3–1 to reach the final of the 2026 tournament in Morocco.
The victory on Wednesday, November 4, secured Nigeria's first ever appearance in the competition's final and made the country the first African nation to reach the tournament's showpiece match.
The Flamingos will now face Japan on Saturday, November 7, with the opportunity to turn their historic achievement into a world title.
It is a remarkable achievement for a Nigerian side that began the competition with a 2–1 defeat to Poland but has since won five consecutive matches.
Nigeria Produce Second Half Masterclass Against Brazil
The semifinal against Brazil began with Nigeria creating several opportunities, but neither side managed to score before the break.
The Flamingos continued to press after half-time and eventually found the breakthrough in the 56th minute.
Queen Joseph opened the scoring after Oluwakemi Adegbuyi's effort fell into her path, allowing her to finish and give Nigeria a deserved advantage.
Nigeria maintained their attacking pressure, and Awawu Bashiru doubled the lead in the 71st minute. Her delivery flew over the Brazilian goalkeeper and found the back of the net.
Bashiru then completed her brace in the 80th minute, finishing a flowing Nigerian move with a composed effort after getting past a Brazilian defender.
Brazil managed to pull one goal back through Greise Kelly in the 89th minute, but the late strike did little to change the outcome.
Nigeria finished with a convincing 3–1 victory and booked their place in the final.
FIFA's match statistics highlighted the scale of the Flamingos' performance, with Nigeria recording 35 shots compared with Brazil's seven. Brazil managed only one shot on target throughout the encounter.
Awawu Bashiru Steals the Show on Her First Start
One of the biggest talking points from the victory was the performance of Awawu Bashiru.
The midfielder had not started any of Nigeria's previous six matches at the tournament and had accumulated just 73 minutes, all as a substitute.
However, head coach Busari handed her a starting opportunity against Brazil, and she responded with two goals and the Player of the Match award.
Her first goal came from a cross that caught the Brazilian goalkeeper off guard, while her second demonstrated her ability to make a decisive contribution during an attacking move.
It was a memorable performance at an important moment for the Flamingos.
Bashiru's display also highlighted the importance of squad depth, with a player who had previously been used from the bench stepping forward to make a major difference in a World Cup semi-final.
Japan Stand Between Nigeria and a Historic World Title
Nigeria's final opponents, Japan, booked their place in the decider after defeating defending champions DPR Korea in a dramatic semi-final.
The match ended 1–1 after Japan scored a stoppage-time equaliser through a DPR Korea own goal. Japan subsequently won the penalty shootout 4–1 to reach the final.
The Japanese side will present a difficult challenge for Nigeria.
Japan have conceded just twice on their way to the final and have also won five consecutive matches at the tournament.
They are competing in their fourth U-17 Women's World Cup final, having previously reached the decider in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Their only title came in 2014, when they defeated Spain 2–0.
Nigeria, meanwhile, will be appearing in the final for the first time.
The two teams have already demonstrated their attacking strength during the competition.
FIFA's tournament statistics recorded 113 attempts on goal for Nigeria, while Japan entered the final as one of the competition's most experienced sides.
Flamingos Have an Opportunity to Make More History
Reaching the final is already a major achievement for Nigerian women's football, but the Flamingos now have an opportunity to go one step further.
Nigeria previously recorded their best performance at the competition in 2022, finishing third after defeating Germany in a penalty shootout.
This year's team has surpassed that achievement by reaching the final, but winning the trophy would give the country an even greater reason to celebrate.
The recovery from their opening defeat to Poland makes the campaign particularly impressive.
Rather than allowing that setback to derail their progress, the Flamingos responded with five consecutive victories.
Their run included a narrow 1–0 victory over Venezuela in the quarter-finals, where captain Azeezat Oduntan scored a late penalty to send Nigeria into the last four.
Read more about Nigeria's quarterfinal victory over Venezuela and their qualification for the semifinals.
They defeated Puerto Rico, defending champions DPR Korea, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil on their way to the final.
Now, Japan stands between Nigeria and their first U-17 Women's World Cup title.
For the Flamingos, the task is clear; Which is to reproduce the determination, attacking quality and teamwork that carried them past Brazil and deliver one more memorable performance.