Nigeria's Flamingos have landed in Morocco. The U17 women's squad touched down at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca at 10:16 local time on Wednesday, 7 October, and checked into the Ibis Hotel ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Morocco 2026.
Nine days remain. Then comes Poland.
Group B: Poland first, then the champions
The draw was not kind. Nigeria sit in Group B with Poland, Puerto Rico and Korea DPR. The North Koreans are the defending champions. All three matches will be played at the Women's Football Complex in Rabat, nigfooty reported on Thursday.
It is a 24-team tournament. The Flamingos open on Saturday 17 October against the Poles. That game should tell Akeem Busari quickly where his side stand.
| Fixture | Date and kick-off (local) |
|---|---|
| Nigeria v Poland | Saturday 17 October, 6pm |
| Nigeria v Puerto Rico | Tuesday 20 October, 6pm |
| Nigeria v Korea DPR | Friday 23 October, 3pm |
| Venue | Women's Football Complex, Rabat |
Busari arrives with momentum. His girls won the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in Côte d'Ivoire without losing any of their five matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding only two before beating Togo 4-0 in the final, Blueprint reported. Chidi scored twice in that final. Oluebube Umejiaku and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi got the others. Unbeaten. Ruthless.
Captain Harmony Chidi is the name to watch. The Bayelsa Queens forward scored five goals in World Cup qualifying. She added three at the WAFU-B tournament, two of them from the spot. FIFA has picked her out as Nigeria's player to watch.
A squad built on the domestic league
Complete Sports published the 21-player list on Tuesday. There are three goalkeepers, seven defenders, five midfielders and six forwards. Robo Queens supply five of them.
Two of those Robo Queens players came straight from the senior camp, because Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, the most valuable player at the WAFU-B Girls Cup, and midfielder Favour Nkwocha were released by the Super Falcons, who host Comoros in an Olympic qualifier at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on 9 and 13 October, Vanguard reported.
That call matters. The Super Falcons camp ahead of Comoros lost two bodies. The Flamingos gained two.
Nkwocha has already played at a World Cup, with the U20 side in Poland.
What it means for Nigerian women's football
The benchmark remains 2022. That was when the Flamingos claimed a historic bronze, still the country's best finish at this level.
Last year fell short. In Morocco in 2025, Bankole Olowookere's Flamingos lost to Canada and France, beat Samoa 4-0 to reach the round of 16, and were then beaten 4-0 by Italy.
This group carries a different promise. Busari has spoken of his ambition to win the tournament, according to FIFA. He has a captain in form. He has a WAFU-B title. He has two players borrowed from the senior setup, and with a group that includes the holders, he will need every one of them firing from the first whistle in Rabat.
Poland come first. A week on Saturday.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 day ago
