The Bayelsa Queens forward will wear the armband after a prolific qualifying campaign and a strong WAFU-B Cup.
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Chidi takes the armband
Harmony Chidi will captain the Flamingos at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. She is one of 21 players picked by coach Akeem Busari for the tournament. FootballInNigeria.com.ng reports that Chidi will carry a bigger role in the squad.
FIFA named her Nigeria’s player to watch before the competition. She is no stranger to the stage, having scored for the Flamingos at the 2024 edition in the Dominican Republic when she was just 14.
Chidi scored five goals in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign. She added three more at the WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup in September, where the Flamingos won the title.
From 13 goals in 2024 to captain
Chidi has been scoring in qualifying for some time. She finished as the top scorer in the 2024 qualifiers with 13 goals in six games, before the Flamingos went to the Dominican Republic.
In this year’s qualifying, she scored twice in the 11-0 aggregate win over Guinea. Nigeria then beat Benin 8-5 on aggregate in the final round to reach Morocco. Fans who follow African youth football can check Bet9ja’s current welcome promotion.
A hard Group B
Nigeria open against Poland on October 17, play Puerto Rico on October 20 and meet DPR Korea three days later. DPR Korea are the reigning champions, which makes the final group game the biggest test.
Nigeria’s target is to get out of the group and build on a strong record. The Flamingos claimed a historic bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup in India, which remains their best finish.
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What Busari will need
Busari needs Chidi’s goals, but she cannot do it alone. Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, who was named most valuable player at the WAFU-B Cup, and Queen Joseph also scored in qualifying.
Can the captain turn promise into a World Cup medal? The squad flew out on October 7 and will have 10 days in Morocco before the opener.
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📌 Did You Know?
- On the way to the 2024 World Cup, the Flamingos beat Central African Republic 12-0, Burkina Faso 7-1 and Liberia 6-1 in qualifying.
- Before the 2025 edition, the Flamingos had missed only the 2018 tournament.
- Nigeria beat New Zealand 4-1 at the 2024 World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
- Chidi played for Imo Strikers in 2024 and now plays for Bayelsa Queens.
- Busari invited 36 players to camp ahead of the 2026 qualifiers.
