Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Republic of Benin's young Amazons in Ikenne on Saturday, boosting their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The visitors stunned the home crowd in the 16th minute when Romaine Gandonou finished off a brilliant solo run to give Benin Republic a 1-0 lead after breaking through the Nigerian defence.
Nigeria responded in the 25th minute as Queen Joseph rose highest to power home a well-placed header, restoring parity at 1-1 and shifting momentum back to the Flamingos.
The second half saw Nigeria take control of proceedings. In the 62nd minute, Oluwakemi Adegbuyi tapped in from close range after Kindness Ifeanyi’s effort was parried by the Benin goalkeeper, giving the hosts a 2-1 advantage.
However, the contest remained tightly balanced as Republic of Benin's Nazifatou Dangui struck back to level the score at 2-2, putting pressure on the Flamingos in front of their home supporters.
Nigeria’s decisive moment arrived in the 75th minute when Kindness Ifeanyi reacted quickest inside the box to restore the lead at 3-2, finishing calmly to seal a vital win for the hosts.
The result gives the Flamingos a crucial advantage heading into the second leg of the final qualifying round, with a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco at stake.
The return fixture is expected to take place next week, where Nigeria will aim to complete the job and confirm qualification for the global tournament.
Wale Adejumo
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