Nigeria’s Flamingos will enter the final stretch of their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup preparations with a trophy, a perfect record and the numbers to justify growing confidence.
The Nigerian U17 women defeated Togo 4-0 in Yamoussoukro to win the WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup, completing the tournament with five victories from five matches, 17 goals scored and just two conceded.
Captain Harmony Chidi scored twice from the penalty spot before Oluebube Umejiaku and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi completed the rout in the second half.
It was an emphatic finish to a competition Nigeria controlled from start to finish.
Five matches, five wins
The Flamingos opened their campaign with a 5-0 victory over Niger Republic.
They then beat Ghana 4-2, followed that with a 2-0 win over Burkina Faso and defeated hosts Côte d’Ivoire by the same scoreline.
Togo became the fifth and final team to fall as Nigeria completed a clean sweep.
The record matters beyond the trophy.
The tournament served as preparation for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, giving coach Akeem Busari’s players a sequence of competitive matches before the pressure rises on the global stage.
Nigeria were tested in different ways.
Against Ghana, the Flamingos had to protect their advantage after being reduced to 10 players. Against Togo, they converted superiority into a four-goal final victory.
That range of experiences gives the WAFU-B title value beyond the silverware itself.
Chidi sets the tone
Harmony Chidi’s two goals in the final underlined the captain’s influence in a side that found goals throughout the tournament.
Umejiaku and Adegbuyi then stretched the margin after the break as Nigeria finished with another clean sheet and another convincing victory.
The overall numbers underline the balance in the team.
Seventeen goals across five matches means Nigeria averaged more than three goals per game during the tournament, while conceding only twice.
For a youth side heading towards a World Cup, that combination of attacking output and defensive control is a strong preparation signal.
World Cup pressure comes next
The Nigeria Football Federation described the WAFU-B competition as an important preparatory event for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup and praised the team’s performance after the final.
The next test is significantly bigger.
The FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026 is scheduled to run in Rabat from 17 October to 7 November, with 24 teams competing.
That leaves Nigeria with less than three weeks between lifting the regional trophy and beginning their campaign on the world stage.
From regional dominance to global test
The Flamingos have recent history at this level, having won bronze at the 2022 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
But the strongest statement around this team is not what a previous generation achieved.
It is what this group has just done.
Five matches.
Five victories.
Seventeen goals.
Two conceded.
A trophy secured before the biggest test begins.
Nigeria could scarcely have asked for a stronger regional send-off.
