Ghana and Nigeria have progressed to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, while Morocco and Kenya exit following their Round of 16 defeats, www.aclsports.com reports.
This is the fourth time at least two African teams have reached the quarter-finals. Ghana and Nigeria have achieved the feat together for the third time, following the 2012 and 2014 editions. Tanzania are the only other African side to have reached the last eight, having done so on their debut in 2022.
Ghana reached the quarter-finals after defeating Argentina 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Jessica Appiah put the Black Maidens ahead in the 16th minute, but Mercedes Diz equalised in the 86th. Despite having Hajara Adam sent off in the 77th minute, Ghana held on through extra time and converted all five penalties to advance.
It is the Black Maidens’ fifth appearance in the quarter-finals and their first since 2018. They will be aiming to reach the semi-finals for the first time since winning bronze in 2012.
Nigeria also advanced with a 2-1 win over Mexico. Oluebube Umejiaku opened the scoring in the 40th minute before Mary Dunstan doubled the lead in the 71st. Emily Delgado pulled one back for Mexico in the 90+10th minute, but the Flamingos held on.
The victory marks the Flamingos’ sixth quarter-final appearance. They will be looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time since claiming bronze in 2022.
Hosts Morocco’s campaign came to an end following a 6-0 defeat to defending champions DPR Korea. The Atlas Lionesses conceded four goals in the first half and two more after the break. Their exit means they have again been unable to progress beyond the Round of 16, having reached the same stage in 2025.
Kenya’s first appearance in the tournament’s knockout stage ended with a 3-1 defeat to Japan. The Junior Starlets took the lead through Brenda Achieng in the 29th minute, but Japan equalised before the break and added two more goals in the second half to complete the comeback. Despite the defeat, reaching the Round of 16 marked a milestone in Kenya’s second appearance at the competition.
The quarter-final ties will see Ghana take on Japan at 4 pm WAT on November 1, followed by Nigeria’s clash with Venezuela at 7 pm. The other fixtures will see defending champions DPR Korea meet the United States, while Brazil face China.
Ghana and Nigeria will be aiming to make history, as no edition has featured two African teams in the semi-finals. The tournament has also produced its first quarter-final line-up without a European side.
