Nigeria’s Flamingos will leave for Lomé, Togo, on Thursday ahead of their decisive second-leg clash against Benin Republic in the final round of qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The team, led by coach Akeem Busari, is scheduled to travel from Ikenne to Lagos on Thursday morning before flying from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to Lomé. Saturday’s winner-takes-all encounter will be played at the Stade de Kégué.
Nigeria take a narrow 3-2 lead into the return leg after overcoming Benin Republic in an entertaining first-leg contest at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne last weekend.
Queen Joseph, Zainab Adegbuyi and Ifeanyi Kindness scored for the Flamingos, while Benin Republic stayed firmly in contention through goals from Yenido Romaine Gandonou and Nazifatou Dangui, leaving the tie delicately poised.
Although they hold a one-goal advantage, the Flamingos will need another composed and disciplined display to seal qualification and prevent Benin from overturning the deficit on Saturday.
Benin Republic, encouraged by their performance in the first leg, will be aiming to capitalise on the support of fans in neighbouring Togo as they chase a place at the global tournament.
The aggregate winners will secure one of Africa’s qualification slots for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be staged in Morocco.
Nigeria have been a regular presence at the tournament since its introduction in 2008, missing only the 2018 edition.
Their best outing came in 2022, when they claimed bronze in India to become the first African nation to win a medal at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
