The Flamingos, Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, moved a step closer to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after securing a 2-0 victory over South Africa in Ikenne, completing a dominant 5-1 aggregate win in their second-round qualifier.
Goals from Harmony Chidi and Aishat Animashaun sealed the Flamingos’ progression to the third and final round, where they will face either Algeria or Botswana for a spot in the global tournament.
Commanding Performance Over Two Legs
Having already established a 3-1 advantage in the first leg in Pretoria, the Flamingos entered the return fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium with confidence. Chidi, who had netted twice in South Africa, once again proved instrumental by opening the scoring just before halftime.
Shakirat Moshood, a goal scorer in the first leg, turned provider this time, delivering a precise cross that Chidi expertly headed into the net to give Nigeria the lead.
Coach Bankole led flamingos did a double over South Africa. ( Photo Credit X)
Despite their aggregate deficit, South Africa’s Bantwana fought hard to contain Nigeria’s attack and kept the contest competitive in the first half.
Shortly after the restart, Nigeria doubled their lead with a stunning long-range strike from Aishat Animashaun, which soared into the top corner, effectively ending South Africa’s hopes of a comeback.
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The Flamingos continued to dominate, with Moshood nearly adding a third goal. Her powerful effort from distance rattled the crossbar, narrowly missing out on a spectacular finish.
Nigeria Awaits Final Opponent
With their place secured in the final round of qualifiers, Nigeria now awaits the winner of the Algeria vs. Botswana tie. Botswana currently hold a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg, with the decisive second leg set to take place later tonight.
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The Flamingos, who finished third at the last U-17 Women’s World Cup, will aim for another strong campaign as they take on their next challenge in the qualification series.
All eyes will be on Nigeria’s next opponents as they look to seal their ticket to the global tournament scheduled for October 17 to November 5, 2025.
