Nigeria’s Flamingos have reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after defeating Mexico 2-1, drawing praise from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye.
Adeboye attended the match and hailed the display as outstanding, insisting the Nigerian side have the quality to compete for the trophy. He highlighted the players’ belief, resolve and tactical awareness, describing them as an encouraging example of the talent available in Nigerian football, especially within the grassroots system.
Oluebube Umejiaku opened the scoring for the Flamingos in the 40th minute before Dunstan extended the advantage in the 71st. Mexico’s Delgado scored in added time, but Nigeria remained calm under late pressure to secure their place in the final eight.
The result marked a third straight victory for Nigeria, who had previously beaten Puerto Rico and reigning champions North Korea. Adeboye pointed to the way the team recovered from its opening defeat against Poland as proof of its resilience and increasing maturity during the tournament.
He also applauded head coach Akeem Busari and his backroom staff for their planning, tactical direction and efforts to maintain the squad’s confidence.
Adeboye said the Flamingos’ progress underlines the importance of continued backing for grassroots sport, school tournaments, coach education and organised pathways for young female players. In his view, identifying gifted athletes at an early stage and giving them the right support can produce more Nigerians capable of excelling on the international stage.
He added that those priorities will form a major part of the National Grassroots Sports Development Summit, which is due to take place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on November 18 and 19, 2026.
Nigeria will meet Venezuela in Sunday’s quarter-final, with Adeboye calling on the Flamingos to remain concentrated and bring the same determination into the last-eight contest.
