Flamingos Beat Puerto Rico 2-0 to Revive U-17 Women's World Cup Campaign

Posted : 21 October 2026

Nigeria’s Flamingos bounced back from their opening-day defeat to Poland with a crucial victory over Puerto Rico in their second Group B match on Tuesday, October 20. The match took place at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, as head coach Akeem Busari’s side sought to keep their tournament hopes alive.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring in the 25th minute after reacting quickly to a rebound inside the penalty area. Queen Joseph helped create the opportunity, while Adegbuyi showed determination to finish after her initial attempt was blocked by Puerto Rico’s defence.

Nigeria maintained their narrow advantage into the second half, but Puerto Rico continued to search for an equaliser. The Caribbean side registered 14 shots during the match, creating a challenging test for the Flamingos' defence and goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho.

The Nigerian team eventually secured the three points in stoppage time. Substitute Precious Oscar scored in the 90th minute plus three after Oluebube Umejiaku provided the assist, ending Puerto Rico’s hopes of rescuing a result. The late goal confirmed Nigeria’s first victory of the tournament.

Busari praised his players for their performance against a determined opponent. Speaking to FIFA after the match, the coach described the result as “a very thorough and strong win.” He also acknowledged Puerto Rico’s quality and the importance of the encounter to both teams' qualification hopes.

The victory came after Nigeria suffered a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening fixture on October 17. Poland scored twice before Kanyinsola Yusuf pulled one back for the Flamingos in the 79th minute, leaving Nigeria needing a positive response in their second match.

The result moved Nigeria to three points in Group B, level with Poland at that stage of the competition. Two-time champions Korea DPR remained a major challenge ahead of the Flamingos' final group fixture. The top two teams in each group, alongside the four best third-placed sides, will advance to the Round of 16.

Nigeria will face Korea DPR on Friday, October 23, in their final group-stage match. Busari’s side will need another disciplined performance to strengthen their chances of progressing to the knockout rounds of the tournament in Morocco.

Flamingos Beat Puerto Rico 2-0 to Revive U-17 Women's World Cup Campaign

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics