Nigeria’s Flamingos. Photo by IMAGO
Nigeria’s U17 girls’ national team, the Flamingos, will take on Algeria in the third and final round of qualifiers for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, following the North Africans’ triumph over Botswana, Soccernet.ng reports.
Algeria secured their place in the decisive round after overcoming Botswana with a 5-2 aggregate victory.
After losing the first leg 2-1 away from home, the Algerians bounced back with a dominant 4-0 win in the return fixture at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in El Bouleïda on Sunday night.
Earlier in the qualifiers, Algeria had edged Tunisia 1-0 on aggregate to advance past the first round.
Their next challenge, however, is Africa’s most successful team at this level—Nigeria.
The Flamingos, under head coach Bankole Olowookere, sealed their spot in the final round with a convincing 5-1 aggregate win over South Africa’s Bantwana. They claimed a 3-1 victory in Pretoria before securing a 2-0 win in the second leg in Ikenne-Remo on Saturday.
Nigeria boast an impressive record in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, having participated in seven of the eight editions since the tournament’s inception in 2008. In contrast, Algeria are yet to qualify for the global competition, making this encounter a crucial opportunity for the North Africans.
The two-legged tie will take place in April, with Nigeria hosting the first leg on the 17th before traveling to Algeria for the decisive return leg on the 24th. The winner on aggregate will book their place in the World Cup, which will be held in Morocco later this year.
Elsewhere in the qualifiers, Kenya’s U17 girls secured their spot in the final round with a commanding 4-0 aggregate win over Uganda. Their reward is a showdown with Cameroon, who defeated Ethiopia home and away to seal a 6-2 aggregate victory.
Zambia also cruised through the second round, defeating Tanzania 4-0 on aggregate. They will now face Benin Republic, who advanced after dispatching DR Congo with a resounding 5-0 aggregate win.
Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire pulled off the comeback of the round, overturning a 3-1 first-leg deficit against Burundi with a stunning 3-0 away win to progress 4-3 on aggregate. Their next challenge comes against Guinea, who narrowly edged Sierra Leone with a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory.
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