Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, have been handed a bye into the second round of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and will begin their campaign against either Niger Republic or Guinea.
The West Africans will meet the winner of the preliminary round clash between Niger and Guinea, with the first leg of the second round scheduled for May 22–24, while the return fixture will be played between May 29–31. The winner over two legs will progress to the third and final qualifying round.
Matches in the decisive round are billed for July 3–5 (first leg) and July 10–12 (second leg), with successful teams booking their tickets to the World Cup finals in Morocco this October.
Nigeria remain one of Africa’s most consistent sides at U-17 level and will be eager to return to the global stage after a disappointing end to their last World Cup campaign, where they crashed out in the Round of 16 following a heavy 4–0 defeat to Italy.
With qualification now within sight, the Flamingos will be aiming to rebuild momentum and reassert themselves as a dominant force in women’s youth football on the continent.
