The Flamingos of Nigeria defeated defending champions North Korea 3-1 in their final Group B match at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco earlier today, October 23, to book their place in the round of 16.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi scored twice, while Kanyinsola Yusuf added a stunning free-kick goal as Nigeria bounced back from their opening defeat to Poland to secure qualification for the knockout stage.
The Flamingos took the lead in the 15th minute when Adegbuyi collected a floated pass from the left, cut inside the penalty area and calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper.
Nigeria doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute through Oluebube Umejiaku, who raced on to a through ball and beat the goalkeeper after she came off her line.
The Nigerian side maintained their attacking approach after the break and extended their lead in the 56th minute when Yusuf curled a superb free kick into the net to leave the defending champions facing an uphill task.
North Korea reduced the deficit in the 82nd minute through Jong Hyang Yu after a Video Assistant Referee review, but Nigeria held on to claim a memorable victory.
Yusuf’s impressive performance earned her the Player of the Match award as the Flamingos ended the group stage with an important result against the reigning champions.
The win marked a strong recovery for Nigeria, who began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland before responding with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico in their second fixture.
Despite the defeat, North Korea finished top of Group B with six points, having opened their campaign with a 6-0 victory over Puerto Rico before thrashing Poland 6-1.
Poland finished third after beating Puerto Rico 6-2 in the group’s other final fixture, played simultaneously with Nigeria’s encounter.
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