Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, Flamingos, have set their sights on winning the WAFU B U-17 Girls Tournament in Ivory Coast as part of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Flamingos arrived in Ivory Coast on Monday and will begin their campaign against Niger Republic on Wednesday following the withdrawal of Benin Republic from the competition.
The development has altered Nigeria’s original schedule, with their opening fixture against Ghana’s Princesses now moved to Saturday.
Coach Hakeem Busari said the team was determined to win the regional tournament while using the competition to fine-tune their preparations for the World Cup.
“This is the kind of tournament we want to win and build on it for the task ahead, which is the World Cup,” Busari said ahead of their opening match against Niger Republic.
Busari named 20 players for the tournament, which serves as a major preparatory test for Nigeria and Ghana ahead of the global tournament.
Both nations are among Africa’s four representatives at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Kenya and Zambia are the other African representatives, with the World Cup scheduled to take place in Morocco from October 17 to November 8.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland, while Ghana will compete in Group C against Canada, Brazil and Norway.
