Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has praised the Flamingos after the country’s U-17 women’s side made history by winning the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, hailing their success as a powerful example of resilience, dedication and Nigerian determination.
A landmark triumph for Nigeria and Africa
Mrs Tinubu said the achievement showed that Nigeria can compete with and defeat the strongest teams on the global stage. The title also made Nigeria the first African nation to lift the prestigious trophy.
- The Flamingos beat Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Morocco.
- The result made them the first women’s team from Africa to win a FIFA World Cup at any age level.
- The victory marked a major breakthrough for Nigerian and African women’s football.
First Lady celebrates the Flamingos
In a congratulatory statement headed, “Congratulations Flamingos: Your Victory… A True Story of Resilience, Commitment”, the First Lady said the players had given Nigeria and the wider African continent enormous pride.
“I am pleased to join millions of Nigerians in celebrating your extraordinary accomplishment as U-17 female world champions, becoming the first African women’s team to achieve this,” she said.
Recovery and winning run praised
Mrs Tinubu gave special recognition to the squad’s response after an uncertain opening to the competition. She said their run of victories underlined the value of discipline, persistence and confidence in their ability.
“The road to this title was not straightforward. You put aside the difficult start, challenged the world and won six consecutive matches on the route to the trophy, proving once again that Nigerians can conquer the world,” she said.
Boost for women’s football
The First Lady added that the success had strengthened Nigeria’s reputation in international women’s football and confirmed the country’s position as a major force in the growth of the women’s game.
She said she was especially delighted that the young players had secured a place in history by delivering an achievement that no other African female side had managed.
“I am especially proud of this remarkable achievement, which has taken Nigeria and Africa to the summit of women’s football worldwide,” Mrs Tinubu said.
