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Nigeria’s Flamingos have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Mexico 2-1 in their Round of 16 encounter in Morocco on Thursday.
Oluebube Umejiaku and Mary Dunstan scored for Nigeria before Mexico’s Emilie Delgado pulled one back in stoppage time. The Flamingos held on to secure their place in the last eight.
The victory keeps Nigeria’s hopes of winning the tournament alive, with the team set to face Venezuela in the quarter-finals on Sunday, November 1.
Umejiaku Gives Nigeria First-Half Lead
The Flamingos started strongly, pressing Mexico and looking for openings in the opposition defence.
Both teams battled for control in midfield, but Nigeria eventually broke the deadlock in the 39th minute through Umejiaku.
Her goal gave the Nigerian side a crucial advantage heading into the second half and rewarded their attacking efforts.
Mexico, who finished second in Group F with six points, needed to respond after the break but struggled to contain Nigeria’s forward players.
Dunstan Doubles Flamingos’ Advantage
Nigeria strengthened their position in the 70th minute when Dunstan scored the second goal.
The strike put the Flamingos 2-0 ahead and left Mexico needing two goals to force a different outcome.
Mexico continued to fight and found a breakthrough through Emilie Delgado in stoppage time, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
The late goal created a tense finish, but Nigeria maintained their lead until the final whistle to confirm their progression to the quarter-finals.
Flamingos Build On Victory Over Defending Champions
Nigeria entered the knockout stage with confidence after defeating defending champions Korea DPR 3-1 in their final Group B match.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring in the 15th minute before Umejiaku doubled Nigeria’s advantage in the 38th minute.
Kanyinsola Yusuf extended the lead with a free kick in the 56th minute, while Korea DPR scored a late consolation through Yu Jong-hyang’s penalty.
The result secured Nigeria’s qualification after an opening 2-1 defeat to Poland and a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico.
The Flamingos finished second in Group B with six points, recovering strongly from their opening defeat to reach the knockout stage.
Their victory over Mexico now takes them one step closer to the tournament’s final stages.
Venezuela Await Nigeria In Quarter-Finals
Nigeria will face Venezuela on Sunday, November 1, after the South American team defeated Germany 1-0 in their Round of 16 encounter.
The quarter-final presents another major test for the Flamingos, who will need to maintain their attacking threat and remain defensively organised.
Nigeria’s victory over Mexico and earlier success against Korea DPR have strengthened the team’s confidence ahead of the next challenge.
With a place in the semi-finals at stake, the Flamingos will aim to deliver another disciplined performance and keep their ambition of lifting the trophy alive.
