Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against France in their second Group D match at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The crucial encounter took place in Rabat on Wednesday night, October 22.
Coach Bankole Olowookere’s squad showed significant improvement after their opening 4-1 loss to Canada. The Flamingos maintained a tight defensive formation throughout most of the match. However, France’s Maïssa Fathallah scored the decisive goal in the 81st minute. She capitalized on a rebound after Nigerian goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface failed to secure the ball.
The Nigerian team displayed promising energy from kickoff. Their high pressing and disciplined defending created several scoring opportunities. Despite their efforts, the French defense remained unyielding throughout the match.
Notably, France fielded Rachael Adedini in the first half. The Manchester City forward is eligible to represent Nigeria internationally. Coach Olowookere substituted her at halftime.
This second consecutive defeat leaves Nigeria at the bottom of Group D. The Flamingos have secured zero points from two matches. Their World Cup survival now depends on the final group game against Samoa.
The decisive match against Samoa is scheduled for Saturday, October 25. Nigeria must secure victory to potentially advance as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
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