Nigeria’s Flamingos opened their 2026 WAFU-B U17 Girls’ Cup campaign in style, defeating Niger Republic 5-0 in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, on Wednesday, Footynaija reports.
Coach Busari’s side took control early and needed only 16 minutes to break the deadlock. Captain Chidi Harmony fired Nigeria into the lead before Awawu Bashiru doubled the advantage in the 35th minute.
Niger struggled to cope with Nigeria’s pressure as the Flamingos created more chances before the interval. A third goal was ruled out for offside in the 42nd minute, leaving Nigeria with a 2-0 lead at half-time.
Nigeria continued to push after the restart and eventually broke Niger’s resistance again late in the game.
The third goal arrived in the 83rd minute, giving the Flamingos a three-goal cushion. Mary Dunstan then struck just a minute later to make it 4-0 and put the result beyond doubt.
Ayomide Rotimi completed the scoring in the 94th minute, sending Nigeria into the tournament with a convincing five-goal victory.
The win gives Busari’s young team an early boost as they prepare for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco later this year.
The Flamingos will now turn their attention to their next WAFU-B fixture against Ghana as they look to build on a powerful opening performance in Côte d’Ivoire.
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