FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe have praised Nigeria’s Flamingos following their 2-1 victory over Japan in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco.
The two football administrators reportedly told Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Acting General Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, that the team’s triumph was deserved and not a fluke.
According to Ikpeme, both officials expressed their admiration for the Flamingos’ performances throughout the tournament and highlighted the players’ potential to achieve greater success in the future.
Ikpeme disclosed this while addressing the squad after their arrival in Abuja in the early hours of Monday.
“The FIFA President and the CAF President told me at different times that you all have done well and that your triumph was no fluke,” he said.
The NFF official also praised the team’s resilience, recalling how they recovered from a 2-1 opening defeat to Poland to win their remaining six matches and claim the title.
Under head coach Akeem Ishola Busari, Nigeria defeated Puerto Rico 2-0, Mexico 2-1 and Venezuela 1-0 before recording a 3-1 victory over defending champions North Korea in their final group match.
The Flamingos repeated that scoreline against Brazil in the semi-final before overcoming Japan 2-1 in the final to secure the trophy.
Ikpeme said the players deserved the recognition coming their way, praising their improvement after the opening defeat and their performances in the subsequent matches.
“You won it as a result of better performance. You played your opponents hands down and dominated right from your second match until the end. After narrowly losing your first match, you changed your game for the better.
“You won the following six matches convincingly to lift the trophy. You showed the world the gulf in class between you and the other teams,” he said.
The Flamingos are currently lodged at a hotel in Abuja following their return from Morocco, while details of a planned presidential reception are awaited.
