Nigeria’s Flamingos have booked their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Benin Republic 5-3 in the second leg of the final qualifying round to complete an 8-5 aggregate victory.
The Nigerian girls secured qualification for the tournament, scheduled to take place in Morocco from October 17 to November 7, 2026, following an action-packed encounter at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé on Saturday.
Holding a slim 3-2 advantage from the first leg played in Ikenne, the Flamingos wasted little time asserting themselves as Mark Akpan Dunstan gave Nigeria the lead in the sixth minute.
Benin responded almost immediately through Romaine Gandonou, who levelled the score in the 11th minute, but the Flamingos quickly regained control of the contest.
Esther Enne Stephen restored Nigeria’s lead four minutes later before Queen Joseph added a third goal in the 19th minute, giving the visitors a comfortable 3-1 advantage heading into halftime.
Joseph continued her impressive display after the restart, converting a penalty in the 54th minute to extend Nigeria’s lead to 4-1 and put the tie firmly beyond Benin’s reach.
The hosts, however, refused to give up as Hermionne Lokossou reduced the deficit before Gandonou grabbed her second goal of the afternoon to make it 4-3 and briefly revive Benin’s hopes.
With the home side pressing for another goal, Queen Joseph completed her hat-trick in the 76th minute, sealing a 5-3 victory for Nigeria and confirming the Flamingos’ place at the World Cup.
The qualification campaign also highlighted Nigeria’s attacking strength, with the Flamingos scoring 19 goals across two qualifying rounds.
Before overcoming Benin, the Nigerian side eliminated Guinea with an emphatic 11-0 aggregate victory, recording a 5-0 away win before completing the job with a 6-0 triumph in the return leg.
The Flamingos will now shift their attention to preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, where they will aim to build on their impressive qualifying form and challenge for global honours in Morocco.
