Nigeria’s U-17 girls, the Flamingos, delivered another ruthless display on Sunday to thrash Guinea 6-0 in Ikenne and secure an emphatic 11-0 aggregate victory, booking their place in the final round of the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Having already established a commanding advantage with a 5-0 first-leg victory in Abidjan, the Flamingos left no doubt about their superiority as they overwhelmed the Guineans in front of their home supporters.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi set the tone early, opening the scoring in the ninth minute after latching onto a precise cross from Queen Joseph. The striker continued her impressive scoring form across both legs of the tie.

Nigeria doubled their lead when captain Harmony Chidi unleashed a spectacular long-range strike that left the Guinea goalkeeper with no chance.

The Flamingos maintained relentless pressure, and Queen Joseph deservedly got on the scoresheet in the 23rd minute with a clinical finish to make it 3-0.

Adegbuyi grabbed her second goal of the match in the 32nd minute, rising highest to power home a header as Nigeria tightened their grip on the contest.

Two minutes later, Chidi completed her brace, finishing off a flowing team move to send the hosts into the interval with a commanding five-goal advantage.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Nigeria dominating possession and creating chances at will. Substitute Precious Oscar rounded off the scoring in the 70th minute to complete a comprehensive 6-0 victory.

The result sealed an overwhelming 11-0 aggregate triumph for the Flamingos, who have now moved one step away from securing a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria will next face the Benin Republic in the third and final qualification round, with a place at the global tournament in Morocco at stake.

The Flamingos’ impressive performances have once again underlined Nigeria’s dominance in women’s youth football on the African continent as they continue their quest for another World Cup appearance.

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Morocco’s remarkable push for football excellence at every level gained fresh momentum on Tuesday as the country’s U-17 national team defeated Mali 3–2 to reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar — their first since 2013.

The Round of 16 clash at Aspire Academy Pitch 7 was a repeat of the 2023 U-17 AFCON final, which Mali won. This time, the Atlas Cubs showed grit and quality to turn the tables, underlining Morocco’s growing strength in youth development.

Morocco struck first through Ziyad Baha in the 29th minute, but Mali hit back on the stroke of halftime when Ndjicoura Bomba converted a 45+5 penalty. The Atlas Cubs responded instantly, reclaiming the lead through Ismail El Aoud at 45+11 before the forward completed his brace in the 66th minute.

Mali’s Berthe pulled one back deep into stoppage time (90+4), but Morocco held firm to secure a historic win.

Though Mali dominated possession with 58% and earned six corners to Morocco’s two, the North Africans were more efficient, firing 11 shots with seven on target compared to Mali’s 10 efforts and five on goal.

The victory capped an impressive campaign that has already seen Morocco record a staggering 16–0 win over New Caledonia and edge the USA on penalties in the previous phase.

Next up is a heavyweight quarter-final showdown with Brazil, who eliminated France on penalties. It will be a stern test, but Morocco’s youngsters continue to break barriers — reflecting the country’s wider quest for football glory on global, continental and developmental stages.

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Uganda and Burkina Faso delivered the shocks of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ Round of 32 on Saturday, with the tournament debutants edging Senegal 1-0 before the Burkinabè knocked out holders Germany by the same scoreline. 

South Africa and Tunisia exited after defeats to Japan and Austria respectively, while the last-16 line-up was completed with progress for England, Italy, Japan, Korea DPR, Austria and Uzbekistan.

Uganda struck early and held their nerve. Abubakali Walusimbi’s thumping drive from distance on 15 minutes beat Senegal goalkeeper Serigne Diouf to give the East Africans a lead they would not relinquish.

The Lions of Teranga, who had not conceded in the group stage, threw everything forward but found Edrisah Waibi in inspired form.

The goalkeeper, later named Player of the Match, produced a string of saves—his best a sharp stop from Mignane Ndour’s clean volley—as a penalty award was overturned and a late leveller ruled out for offside.

Waibi said the victory was built on character as much as tactics: “It was a good game; we played well. The physicality made it tough, but we were strong. It’s massive for my team to be in the last 16.”

Coach Brian Ssenyondo praised his side’s bravery: “We showed character, spirit and resilience. As tough as Senegal were, we fought for everything and deserved to win.”

Striker Alwaly Camara reflected on Senegal’s missed chances: “We should have won. We had three or four early opportunities. Mistakes cost you—next time, maybe things go our way.”

If Uganda’s win raised eyebrows, Burkina Faso’s result sent tremors through the tournament. Mohamed Zongo punished a German error on five minutes, cutting inside from the right to curl a stunning finish into the far corner.

Germany, champions in Indonesia two years ago, camped in the Burkinabè half after the break and thought they had equalised deep into stoppage time, but Benno Kaltefleiter’s close-range effort was ruled offside.

Burkina Faso coach Oscar Barro hailed a “flawless” display: “My young players showed tenacity, commitment and solidarity—these are warriors. They knew what they wanted and proved it on the pitch.”

Germany coach Marc-Patrick Meister admitted his side were short of their usual levels: “We didn’t play well and made a lot of mistakes with the ball. We kept going and were one goal short of penalties, but credit to my boys for the fight.”

Elsewhere, Japan’s high tempo proved too much for South Africa in a 3-0 win. After a goalless first half, Hiroto Asada poked home at the third attempt, Minato Yoshida added a composed second and substitute Shota Fujii headed a third to end Bafana Bafana’s campaign.

Tunisia also bowed out late, undone 2-0 by Austria as Johannes Moser converted an 83rd-minute penalty before a deflected effort off Mazen Slama Essefi sealed it a minute later.

Saturday’s results complete the last-16 cast, with Uganda and Burkina Faso joining England, Italy and Japan—each comfortable winners on the day—alongside Korea DPR, Austria and Uzbekistan.

For African fans, the headlines belonged to two bold, disciplined performances: Uganda’s first World Cup knockout victory and Burkina Faso’s dethroning of the champions.

-Cafonline

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