FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Flamingos Boost Knockout Hopes With Puerto Rico Win

Posted : 21 October 2026

Nigeria’s Flamingos revived their hopes of progressing at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after securing a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico in their Group B encounter in Rabat on Tuesday.

Goals from Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and substitute Precious Oscar earned the 2022 bronze medallists three crucial points, keeping them firmly in contention ahead of Friday’s decisive group fixture against North Korea.

The Nigerian youngsters started brightly, applying pressure on Puerto Rico’s defence with purposeful attacking movements and aggressive pressing.

Their early dominance yielded results in the 25th minute when Adegbuyi converted Queen Joseph’s assist to give Nigeria the lead.

The goal boosted the Flamingos’ confidence, allowing them to control much of the first half while limiting Puerto Rico’s opportunities to threaten their defence.

Nigeria maintained their attacking approach after the restart, searching for a second goal to strengthen their grip on the contest.

Queen Joseph, Tosin Rafiu, and Favour Nkwocha threatened to extend the advantage, but Puerto Rico remained competitive as their coach made changes in an attempt to turn the game around.

Flamingos coach Hakeem Busari responded with a double substitution in the 67th minute, introducing Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku to inject fresh energy into the attack.

The tactical adjustment helped Nigeria sustain the pressure, although the decisive second goal arrived deep into regulation time.

In the 90th minute, substitute Oscar rose to head home a cross from Kemi Adegbuyi, securing the Flamingos’ second goal and putting the result beyond Puerto Rico’s reach.

Nigeria subsequently managed the six minutes of added time to preserve their clean sheet and claim maximum points.

The victory assumed greater significance following North Korea’s emphatic 6-1 defeat of Poland in the group’s other fixture, a result that could influence the race for qualification.

With their opening victory secured, the Flamingos now turn their attention to North Korea on Friday, knowing that the encounter could prove decisive in determining their progress to the knockout stage.

For Busari’s side, the immediate priority will be to maintain their defensive discipline, improve their attacking efficiency, and deliver another strong performance against a North Korean team that has demonstrated considerable scoring power.

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Flamingos Boost Knockout Hopes With Puerto Rico Win

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