Nigeria’s Flamingos produced one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Friday, defeating defending champions North Korea 3-1 to secure qualification for the Round of 16.
Goals from Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Oluebube Umejiaku and Kanyinsola Yusuf powered Akeem Busari’s side to a remarkable victory over the Asian champions, who had scored 12 goals in their opening two matches.
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Nigeria made their intentions clear from the outset, with Adegbuyi opening the scoring in the 15th minute to put the Flamingos ahead.
Umejiaku doubled the advantage in the 38th minute, sending Nigeria into the interval with a commanding 2-0 lead against opponents who had previously overwhelmed Puerto Rico 6-0 and Poland 6-1.
Rather than retreat after the break, the Flamingos continued to threaten, and Yusuf struck in the 56th minute to extend Nigeria’s advantage to three goals.
North Korea eventually pulled one back through Yu Jong Hyang’s 82nd-minute penalty, but the Nigerian youngsters held firm to complete a memorable victory.
The result marked a stunning turnaround for Nigeria, who began their Group B campaign with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Poland before recovering to beat Puerto Rico 2-0.
Friday’s victory lifted the Flamingos to six points from three matches and guaranteed their passage into the knockout stage.
It also ended North Korea’s perfect start to the tournament and underlined Nigeria’s growing confidence after a difficult opening fixture.
The victory will be particularly satisfying for Busari, whose team entered the encounter as underdogs against the reigning champions.
Nigeria will now await confirmation of their Round of 16 opponents as they continue their pursuit of a first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.
For the Flamingos, defeating the defending champions represents a major statement of intent and a significant boost to their ambitions of progressing deep into the tournament.
