Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Oluebube Umejiaku and Kanyinsola Yusuf scored as the Flamingos beat defending champions North Korea 3-1 on Friday. Nigeria finished second in Group B and will face Mexico, Chile or Australia in the Round of 16.
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Nigeria’s Flamingos reached the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with a 3-1 win over defending champions North Korea at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat on Friday. The Confederation of African Football congratulated the team on social media, writing “Round of 16, here we come!”
Nigeria needed a win to stay in the tournament after a 2-1 defeat to Poland and a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico. They finished with six points, second in Group B behind North Korea. Fans following Nigeria’s youth teams can read Bet9ja promotion code short summary.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring in the 15th minute, her second goal of the tournament. Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the lead in the 38th, beating North Korea’s high defensive line after a pass from Tosin Rafiu.
Kanyinsola Yusuf made it 3-0 in the 56th minute with a superb free-kick, her second goal of the tournament.
North Korea pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute through Yu Jong Hyang, after a VAR check. Adegbuyi thought she had added a fourth in the 88th minute, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review for a foul in the build-up. New Bet9ja users can claim the YOHAIG Bet9ja onboarding offer.
The defeat ended North Korea’s run of unbeaten matches in regular time at the tournament, which had lasted since a 4-1 loss to Germany on November 14, 2018.
In the other Group B game, Poland beat Puerto Rico 6-2 to finish third, putting themselves in a good position to reach the Round of 16 as one of the best four third-placed teams.
Akeem Busari made one change from the Puerto Rico win, starting Umejiaku in place of captain Harmony Chidi, who began on the bench. The change worked, and so did the rest of the plan. Readers curious about betting terms can read Bet9ja bonus code in a nutshell.
Nigeria now await Mexico, Chile or Australia in the Round of 16. The exact opponent and date depend on the remaining group results.
From a 2-1 loss on opening day to beating the two-time defending champions, this has been a strong response. Busari’s side has momentum, and the knockout stage is a new tournament.
📌 Did You Know?
- Adegbuyi was named Player of the Match in Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Puerto Rico earlier in the group.
- Umejiaku’s goal beat North Korean goalkeeper Kim Son Gyong.
- Nigeria won bronze at the 2022 U-17 Women’s World Cup, beating Germany on penalties, and reached the quarter-finals in 2024.
- The Round of 16 features the top two teams from each group plus the four best third-placed teams.
- Poland, who beat Nigeria 2-1 in the opening game, finished third in the group with a goal difference of zero.
