Nigeria: Flamingos qualify for 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after 8-5 win over Benin

Nigeria's Flamingos have booked their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup after defeating Benin Republic 8-5 on aggregate in the final round of the African qualifiers, soccernet.ng/wp/wp/ reports.

The qualification was confirmed on Saturday, July 11, following an exciting 5-3 victory over Benin Republic in the second leg at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé, Togo. The result completed an impressive qualifying campaign for the Nigerian youngsters, who will now represent the country at the global tournament scheduled to take place in Morocco from October 17 to November 7, 2026.

Nigeria went into the return leg with a slim advantage after winning the first meeting 3-2 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, on July 4. Goals from Queen Joseph, Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Kindness Ifeanyi gave the Flamingos a valuable lead before travelling to Togo for the decisive encounter.

The second leg produced plenty of drama from the opening whistle. Nigeria made the perfect start when Mark Akpan Dunstan scored in the sixth minute to put the visitors ahead. Benin responded almost immediately as Romaine Gandonou equalised in the 11th minute, ensuring the contest remained wide open.

The Flamingos quickly regained control. Esther Enne Stephen restored Nigeria's lead in the 15th minute before Queen Joseph added a third goal just four minutes later to give the visitors a comfortable 3-1 advantage before halftime.

Flamingos: Queen Joseph's hat-trick seals Morocco ticket

Nigeria continued their attacking display after the break and increased their lead in the 54th minute when Queen Joseph confidently converted a penalty to make it 4-1 and score her second goal of the afternoon.

However, Benin Republic refused to surrender. The Young Amazons mounted an impressive comeback as Hermionne Lokossou found the net before Romaine Gandonou grabbed her second goal of the match. Their quick goals reduced the score to 4-3 and increased the tension inside the Stade de Kégué, with the home side sensing an unlikely comeback.

Just as the pressure was building on Nigeria, Queen Joseph stepped up once again. In the 76th minute, she completed a brilliant hat-trick to restore Nigeria's two-goal advantage and effectively end Benin's hopes of overturning the tie. Her outstanding performance ensured the Flamingos claimed a deserved 5-3 victory on the day and an 8-5 aggregate success.

The qualification continues Nigeria's strong record in African women's youth football. Before facing Benin Republic in the final round, the Flamingos had completely outclassed Guinea in the previous qualifying stage, recording a massive 11-0 aggregate victory. Nigeria won the first leg 5-0 away from home before completing the job with a dominant 6-0 victory on home soil.

The Flamingos will now shift their attention to the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, where they will compete against some of the best young teams from around the world.