Nigeria’s U17 girls, the Flamingos, took a narrow step towards qualification for the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Benin Republic’s Amazons 3-2 in a pulsating first-leg final qualifying round clash on Saturday at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
The fiercely contested encounter lived up to expectations, with both sides showcasing the quality that carried them to the final round of the African qualifiers.
Benin struck first in the 16th minute through the impressive Romaine Gandonou, who unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area that gave goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho no chance.
The early setback failed to rattle the Flamingos. Just a minute later, captain Harmony Chidi came close to levelling the scores, but her chipped effort sailed narrowly over the crossbar after a fine build-up by Queen Joseph.
Nigeria found the breakthrough in the 26th minute when Joseph produced a superb lofted finish that beat goalkeeper Elise Kounkpaga to restore parity.
