Another vote of confidence has come for the Nigerian female cadet team, Flamingos to win the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, as a former player, Chinasa Mandy Ukandu is sticking out her neck for their victory in the final.
Sports247 reports that Ukandu was ecstatic after watching Coach Akeem Busari’s squad smash Brazil 3-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final and declared emphatically afterwards that she is confident the Flamingos will also defeat Japan in this weekend’s final.
Ukandu, who is now the head coach of Lagos State Women’s Super League champions, CATS Ladies FC of Surulere, declared further in an exclusive chat with Sports247 that the improvements already achieved by Busari’s side serve strong hints about their trophy-winning potential.
She added at length: “What a fantastic moment for Nigerian women’s football. The Flamingos’ victory over Brazil is a huge achievement. Beating a football powerhouse like Brazil on the world stage takes courage, discipline, teamwork and belief.
“I’m especially proud of these young girls for showing that Nigerian talent can compete with the very best. And, yes, I absolutely believe they can win the final! They’ve already shown tremendous resilience, defeating defending champions North Korea and now Brazil to reach their first-ever U-17 Women’s World Cup final.”
The soft-spoken youth developer and female football promoter admitted that Japan will pose a tough hurdle to overcome during the final but quickly mentioned key qualities that have already been seen in the Flamingos, which will guide them to victory in the final.
“Japan will be a tough opponent but, if the Flamingos maintain their discipline, confidence and fighting spirit, I believe they have a genuine chance of bringing the trophy home to Nigeria,” Ukandu concluded on a very optimistic note.
