Flamingos Draw Inspiration from Argentina’s World Cup Comeback Ahead of Historic Japan Final

Posted : 07 November 2026

Nigeria’s Flamingos are determined to make history for Africa as they prepare for Saturday’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final against Japan in Morocco.

The Nigerian youngsters are drawing inspiration from Argentina’s remarkable comeback at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Argentina lost their opening match against Saudi Arabia but recovered to win the tournament, a journey the Flamingos hope to replicate after suffering an opening defeat to Poland.

Nigeria secured their historic place in the final with an impressive 3-1 victory over Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat. The result made them the first African nation to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Queen Joseph, who opened the scoring against Brazil, said Argentina’s experience had motivated the team to believe they could overcome their difficult start.

“We took the Argentina spirit from the (2022) World Cup after losing our first game,” Joseph told FIFA.

She expressed confidence that Nigeria could complete a similar journey by lifting the trophy, while acknowledging the importance of representing the country and the African continent.

“I’m super proud of myself and my team because we made history. We are not here just representing Nigeria; we are here representing Africa as a whole,” she added.

The Flamingos produced a dominant performance against Brazil, creating numerous scoring opportunities and limiting their opponents' attacking threat. FIFA statistics showed that Nigeria recorded 35 attempts on goal, compared with just seven from the South Americans.

After a goalless first half, Joseph broke the deadlock in the 56th minute. Awawu Bashiru then extended Nigeria’s advantage in the 71st minute before completing her brace nine minutes later. Brazil managed a late consolation through Greise Kelly in the 89th minute.

Bashiru’s performance was particularly impressive. The forward had not started any of Nigeria’s previous six matches and had accumulated just 73 minutes of playing time before the semi-final. However, her first start of the tournament produced two goals and earned her the Player of the Match award.

An excited Bashiru praised her teammates and coaching staff for their contribution to the historic achievement.

“Today was my first start, so I’m so happy, I’m so excited,” she said. She also credited the team's collective effort and thanked God for the opportunity.

Head coach Akeem Busari described reaching the final as a significant achievement for Nigerian football. He praised his players for their courage and tactical discipline against a technically gifted Brazilian side.

Busari acknowledged that Brazil presented a difficult challenge but said his team successfully disrupted their passing patterns and demonstrated the character required to reach the final.

The Nigerian coach is now preparing to face Japan, who defeated defending champions DPR Korea on penalties after a 1-1 draw in their semi-final.

Busari believes Nigeria can use its previous victory over DPR Korea as a tactical reference. The Flamingos defeated the Asian side 3-1 during the group stage and will look to reproduce that disciplined approach against Japan.

Japan, however, pose a significant challenge. They are experienced finalists, having previously reached the competition's final on three occasions and won the 2014 edition.

The final presents Nigeria with an opportunity to become the first African nation to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The Flamingos have already surpassed their previous best performance of third place in 2022.

The decisive encounter is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat. Nigeria will be targeting a historic victory that would establish the country and Africa among the competition's champions.

Flamingos Draw Inspiration from Argentina’s World Cup Comeback Ahead of Historic Japan Final

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics