Nigeria’s Flamingos delivered a near perfect performance in Abidjan as captain Harmony Chidi’s first half hat trick inspired a dominant 5-0 victory over Guinea in the second round first leg of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier.
Akeem Busari’s side put on a five-star show at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny on Saturday, and they barely needed a moment to find their stride. Chidi, the Bayelsa Queens forward and Flamingos skipper, struck with practically the first touch of the game, catching Guinea cold inside 60 seconds to hand Nigeria an immediate advantage, as reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng.
That early goal set the tone for a completely one sided first half. Chidi doubled the lead in the 13th minute with a stunning long range effort that left the Guinea goalkeeper with no chance. The match was already comfortable territory for Nigeria, and the captain was not done.
Chidi Completes Hat Trick Before Half Time
FC Robo Queens forward Oluwakemi Adegbuyi made it three with a flying header at the back post in the 37th minute, and just three minutes later Chidi stroked home a composed finish to complete her hat trick before the break. The Flamingos went into the dressing room four goals to the good, having scored all four within the opening 40 minutes.
The second half was a more controlled affair, but Nigeria never eased off. Mary Dunstan added a fifth goal in the 56th minute to put the final stamp on a commanding performance that leaves the tie all but over heading into the second leg.
It was a remarkable night for Chidi personally. The hat trick pushed her overall tally to 25 goals in just 17 appearances for the Flamingos, a record that underlines why she is regarded as one of the most potent young forwards in African women’s football. Busari was also tasting victory in his first competitive outing as the Flamingos’ new head coach, a debut that could not have gone much better.
Pre-Match Camp Problems Made No Difference on the Night
The build up to the qualifier had been far from smooth. Reports circulated in the days before the game about poor camp conditions for the Flamingos in Abidjan, raising concern ahead of the fixture. None of that baggage showed on the pitch. The girls channelled everything into the performance and came away with one of the biggest away wins in recent qualifying history for this age group.
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Second Leg Set for Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne
The return fixture is scheduled for Saturday, 30 May 2026 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State. With a five goal cushion in hand, Nigeria need only avoid a catastrophic collapse to progress into the third and final qualifying round. The winner of this two-legged tie will enter the final round of the African qualifiers, where four spots from the continent are available for the tournament itself.
The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will be held in Morocco from October 17 to November 7, marking the third time the tournament is hosted on African soil. Morocco’s automatic qualification as hosts means 23 other nations will battle for the remaining places, with Africa sending four teams in total.
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Flamingos Hunting Another Deep Run at the Finals
Nigeria’s U-17 women have appeared at every edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup except the 2018 tournament. Their finest moment came in India in 2022, when they defeated the USA on penalties in the quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw and went on to claim a historic third-place finish, the best result the Flamingos have ever recorded at the global stage.
At the 2025 edition in Morocco, the Flamingos reached the round of 16 as one of the best third placed teams before going down 4-0 to Italy. With an exciting group of players coming through and Chidi in the kind of form that produced 25 international goals before the age of 17, the ambition ahead of the 2026 campaign is clearly building.
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📌 Did You Know?
- Saturday’s qualifier was played at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan, one of the most iconic football venues in West Africa, with a capacity of around 45,000 spectators.
- Harmony Chidi plays her club football for Bayelsa Queens FC in the Nigeria Women Football League, one of the most competitive clubs in Nigerian women’s football.
- The 2026 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco will be the second of five consecutive editions that FIFA has awarded to the North African nation, with the tournament scheduled there annually through 2029.
- North Korea are the current defending champions, having won a record fourth U-17 Women’s World Cup title at the 2025 edition.
- Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, who scored Nigeria’s third goal, is an FC Robo Queens forward, a Lagos-based club that has produced several Nigerian women’s national team players across age groups.
- Africa has four spots to fill at the 2026 U-17 Women’s World Cup, with Morocco already secured as hosts, meaning only four nations from the continental qualifiers will make the finals.
- Akeem Busari, the Flamingos’ new head coach, is the same tactician who previously guided the Super Falcons’ youth setup and has a strong track record with Nigerian age grade women’s football.
