The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has hailed Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their historic triumph over Japan at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to become the first African team to win the competition.
Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the lead two minutes into the second half.
Japan reduced the deficit through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian girls held on to secure a historic victory.
In her congratulatory message, Musawa described the achievement as a landmark moment for Nigeria and African women’s football, saying the players had demonstrated resilience, talent and determination.
She said the victory went beyond winning a trophy, noting that the young players had overcome early disappointment to achieve global recognition.
“This is more than a trophy. It is a story of young Nigerian girls who refused to give up, who rose after defeat, and who carried the hopes of a continent to the top of the world,” she said.
The minister noted that the victory had placed Nigeria in the record books, making the country the first African nation to win both the men’s and women’s FIFA U-17 World Cup titles.
The Flamingos also made history as the first team to win the tournament after losing their opening match.
Nigeria had suffered a 2-1 defeat to Poland in the group stage but recovered impressively, recording six consecutive victories to lift the trophy.
Musawa particularly congratulated Umejiaku, who emerged as the tournament’s best player and received the Golden Ball award.
She also praised Bashiru for her crucial contribution in the final and commended the entire squad for their teamwork, discipline and fighting spirit.
According to her, the Flamingos’ achievement reflects the creativity, courage and potential of Nigerian youths to excel on the international stage.
The minister reaffirmed her ministry’s commitment to promoting and celebrating Nigerian talents whose achievements project the country’s image positively across the world.
“Our girls have shown the world what Nigeria is made of. We celebrate you today, and we will continue to stand with you,” she said.