Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Mexico in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after both teams finished second in their respective groups.
The Flamingos secured their place with six points from three matches in Group B. They began their campaign with a 1-2 defeat to Poland on October 17 before recovering with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico on October 20.
Nigeria sealed qualification on October 23 by defeating defending champions Korea DPR 3-1. Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring in the 15th minute, Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the lead in the 38th minute, and Kanyinsola Yusuf made it 3-0 in the 56th minute before Korea DPR scored a late penalty consolation.
Mexico also finished second in Group F with six points. After an opening 0-2 loss to Spain, they responded with a 3-1 win over Chile and completed their group stage with a 1-0 victory against Australia to confirm their progression.
The Flamingos will look to build on the momentum gained from their impressive win over the defending champions as they prepare for the knockout stage. A disciplined and clinical performance will be required if they are to advance further in the tournament.
The Round of 16 clash is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, at the Women’s Football Complex in Salé, with kick-off at 3:00 p.m. local time. A place in the quarter-finals is at stake for both sides.
