Nigeria's U-17 women's team, the Flamingos, claimed a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Benin Republic in the first leg of the final qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, taking a slender advantage into next week's decisive return fixture.
Playing before their home fans at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, the Flamingos recovered from an early setback to secure the crucial win and move a step closer to a place at the tournament in Morocco.
Benin silenced the home crowd in the 16th minute when Romaine Gandonou capped a brilliant solo run with a composed finish to hand the visitors the lead.
Nigeria responded almost immediately, with Queen Joseph rising highest to head home five minutes later and restore parity.
The Flamingos took the initiative after the restart. Oluwakemi Adegbuyi put the hosts in front in the 62nd minute, reacting quickest to tap home after Benin's goalkeeper parried Kindness Ifeanyi's initial effort.
The visitors refused to back down and drew level through Nazifatou Dangui, setting up a tense finale.
However, Ifeanyi ensured Nigeria would head into the second leg with the advantage, reacting fastest inside the penalty area in the 75th minute to score the decisive goal and seal a 3-2 victory.
Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari had predicted a fiercely contested encounter before kick-off, and the match lived up to expectations.
The return leg is scheduled for July 11 in Benin Republic, where both sides will battle for one of Africa's four qualification spots at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.
