Nigeria’s Flamingos have suffered a disappointing begin to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Ladies’s World Cup after dropping 2-1 to Poland of their opening Group B fixture in Rabat, Morocco.
Head coach Akeem Busari led Nigeria into the event with a 21-player squad following their triumph on the WAFU U-17 Women Championship. Nevertheless, the regional champions had been unable to translate that momentum right into a optimistic outcome in opposition to a disciplined Polish facet, who took their probabilities to safe all three factors.
Poland broke the impasse within the thirty third minute when Wiktoria Skrzypczak transformed a penalty. Nigeria struggled to create clear-cut alternatives in response, and their scenario worsened within the second half when Natalia Skrok doubled Poland’s benefit within the sixty fifth minute.
The Flamingos refused to surrender and located a lifeline within the 79th minute by means of Oluebube Umejiaku, who scored from a free kick to cut back the deficit to 2-1. Regardless of pushing for a late equaliser, Nigeria couldn’t discover one other aim earlier than the ultimate whistle.
Poland’s second aim got here within the sixty fifth minute when Natalia Skrok completed a cross from Blanka Zając after Nigeria didn’t clear the hazard. The Flamingos responded by means of Umejiaku’s 79th-minute aim, however their late push proved inadequate to rescue a degree. 
The defeat leaves Nigeria and not using a level after their opening Group B fixture. The result’s a setback for Busari’s facet, who arrived in Morocco with confidence after successful the WAFU-B U-17 Women’ Championship, the place they gained all 5 matches and scored 17 objectives.
The opening defeat means the Flamingos should enhance their defensive organisation and ending if they’re to progress within the competitors.
Nigeria will face Puerto Rico on Tuesday, October 20, in a vital second group match earlier than taking up Korea DPR on October 23. With the highest two groups in every group qualifying routinely for the Spherical of 16, alongside the 4 finest third-placed sides, the Flamingos nonetheless have a possibility to recuperate. 
For Busari and his gamers, the rapid precedence is to show their late attacking response in opposition to Poland right into a extra full efficiency. A victory over Puerto Rico would revive their qualification hopes, however one other disappointing outcome would depart Nigeria dealing with a troublesome path to the knockout levels.
