Nigeria’s Flamingos began their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening Group B match at the Women’s Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, on Saturday.
Poland took the lead in the 33rd minute after Wiktoria Skrzypczak converted a penalty to give her side a 1-0 advantage at half-time.
The Flamingos returned for the second half seeking an equaliser but fell further behind in the 66th minute when Natalia Skrok scored Poland’s second goal.
Oluebube Umejiaku reduced the deficit in the 79th minute, giving Nigeria hope of a late comeback. However, the goal proved insufficient as Poland held on to secure all three points.
The result leaves Nigeria without a point in Group B, alongside Puerto Rico, while Poland and defending champions Korea DPR sit on three points each.
Korea DPR began their title defence with a commanding 6-0 victory over tournament debutants Puerto Rico. Yu Jong-Hyang and Kim Won-Sim both scored twice in the emphatic win.
The Flamingos entered the competition in impressive form after winning the WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Championship in Côte d’Ivoire last month. Nigeria won all five matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding just once, before defeating Togo 4-0 in the final.
They secured their World Cup ticket by overcoming Benin in the final round of African qualifying.
Head coach Akeem Busari named a 21-player squad for the tournament, with the team arriving in Morocco on October 7 to prepare for the competition. Captain Harmony Chidi is expected to play a key role after scoring five goals during qualifying and adding three more at the WAFU-B championship.
Poland qualified for the tournament after defeating England 2-0 in a UEFA play-off, with midfielder Zofia Burzan scoring both goals. Burzan also netted four times at the European U-17 Championship, while Poland reached the quarter-finals on their debut at the 2024 edition.
Nigeria are making their ninth appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Their best finish came in 2022, when they claimed third place after defeating Germany on penalties in the third-place play-off in India.
The Flamingos will face Puerto Rico on Tuesday, October 20, in a crucial second group match before taking on Korea DPR on Friday, October 23.
The 2026 tournament features 24 nations and runs until November 7. The top two teams in each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 16.
