Nigeria U17 women’s team, the Flamingos, booked their place in the round of 16 after cruising to a 4–0 victory over Samoa in their final group game at the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on Saturday, www.aclsports.com reports.
Coach Bankole Olowookere’s side produced a confident and attacking display in Morocco, bouncing back from consecutive defeats to seal qualification in style.
Nigeria opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Queen Joseph, who calmly slotted home from close range after a swift counterattack led by Shakirat Moshood. The Flamingos doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Moshood converted from the penalty spot after VAR called for a penalty in Nigeria’s favour.
Their dominance continued as Joseph grabbed her second of the game in the 34th minute, finishing neatly after a clever assist from Nguemo Terlumun.
After halftime, Nigeria remained in control despite missing a penalty early in the second half. Azeezat Oduntan later made it 4–0 in the 67th minute with a composed right-footed strike into the top corner.
Goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu, who replaced Elizabeth Boniface, was solid when called upon, making key saves to deny Samoa any route back into the game, while substitutes Mariam Yahaya and Ayomide Rotimi added fresh energy late on.
The result sees Nigeria finish the group stage on a high in third place, advancing to the round of 16 as one of the tournament’s best four third-placed teams.
