Nigeria’s Flamingos are now one step away from the 2026 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup after cruising past Guinea with an 11-0 aggregate win to reach the closing stage of the African qualifiers.
The team sealed the emphatic tie with a 6-0 performance in the second leg against Guinea’s Baby Syli Stars at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State on Saturday, having already built a commanding 5-0 advantage from the first leg in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Awaiting Nigeria in the final qualifying round is Benin Republic’s Baby Squirrels, who secured their own passage with a 5-1 aggregate success over Sierra Leone. Benin claimed a 2-1 win in the second leg in Lomé, Togo, with both fixtures staged there because of facility constraints in the two participating countries.
Key figures for Nigeria have included forward Harmony Chidi, as well as Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Queens Joseph and Precious Oscar. The first match of the final qualifying encounter is set for the weekend of July 3–5, while the return fixture will take place between July 10–12.
Elsewhere across the continent, Ghana advanced to the final round following an 8-0 aggregate win over Liberia. South Africa also progressed after eliminating Tanzania and will face Kenya next. Senegal needed a penalty shootout to get past Cameroon, prevailing 5-4 after two matches ended goalless, while Zambia dispatched DR Congo with a 7-0 aggregate scoreline over two legs. Ethiopia and Kenya likewise moved forward after beating Burundi and Uganda, respectively.
In the final round, Senegal will take on Ghana, Zambia will meet Ethiopia, and South Africa will face Kenya. The four victorious teams will join hosts Morocco, who are already guaranteed a berth, at the tournament in Morocco running from October 17 to November 7, 2026. Africa has five spots in total.
