FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Triumph: How To Honour Flamingos, Pioneers Of Women’s Football In Nigeria

By Harry Awurumibe, just back from Morocco

There is no gainsaying the fact that the historic triumph of Nigeria’s junior women’s football team, the Flamingos over Japan’s Little Nadeshiko in the final of the just concluded 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco last Saturday has permanently put Nigeria in the world map and cement the country’s global recognition as one of the women’s football playing nations.

Nigeria’s youngsters defeated their Japanese opponents 2-1 in a fiercely fought final match of the 2026 edition at Pitch 3 of Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salè, Rabat on Saturday night with two goals in each half scored by midfielder Awawu Bashiru in the 39th minute assisted by Mary Dunstan and Oluebube Umejiaku assisted by Esther Stephen in the 47th minute.

Although Japan  pulled one back through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute, the coach Busari Hakeem Ishola wards kept pushing forward while defending resolutely till the match ended 2-1 at full time to trigger off wild celebrations by the players, coaching crew, Nigerian fans at the stadium and millions in Nigeria.

By this victory, the Flamingos on Saturday made history as the first-ever African  side to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup at any level as the u-20 women’s football team, the Falconets have twice reached the final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup but failed to lift the trophy.

The Flamingos’ achievement in Morocco at the weekend is therefore a big deal for the players, technical crew and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as well as the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the federal government.

Also, the Flamingos’ historic achievement at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, where Nigeria defeated Japan 2-1 in the final to become the first African nation to win the competition and the victory coming  at a time many Nigerians irrespective of creed, ethnicity and political party affiliations are going through  economic hardships has become a big relief for millions of Nigerian fans and sports lovers in Nigeria and in diaspora.

Expectedly, the Flamingos who have returned to Nigeria after a successful outing in Morocco, have been receiving a lot of commendations and goodwill including financial largesse from a private individual.

In fact, the team has received a significant financial support and cash rewards following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco just as FIFA does not award automatic prize money for the U-17 tournament hence individual donors and government interventions have stepped in to support the champions.

For example, the team has received a $50,000 cash reward (approximately ₦75 million) from Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu, a prominent sponsor of the National Sports Commission (NSC) who was in Morocco with the top officers of the Commission to watch the final against Japan on Saturday. The presentation was made during a reception celebrating the Flamingos 2-1 final victory over Japan.

Earlier, the federal government had cleared all the outstanding bonuses and salaries owed the players and coaching crew led by Busari Hakeem Ishola following a direct order from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This financial support covered their entire campaign, stretching from the preliminary qualifying rounds all the way to the tournament final including the ₦4.5 Million qualification bonus owed the team.

Recall that during the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup African qualifying stage, Hon. Kunle Soname, proprietor of Remo Stars FC and Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, venue of the Flamingos’ home matches gifted the team ₦4.5 million. He had promised them ₦750,000 for every goal scored during their dominant 11-0 aggregate victory over Guinea, a pledge he fully redeemed.

For making history as the first African team to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup at any level—U-17, U-20 and senior women’s team, the Flamingos deserve a special recognition in cash and kind from the appreciative nation because of the huge global positive image this victory has attracted to Nigeria which cannot be quantified in monetary terms.

The media mileage enjoyed by Nigeria since the team’s historic achievement at the global stage in Morocco last Saturday surpasses the huge amount of money spent by the federal government to launder the image of Nigeria.

The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup-winning team deserves a celebratory reception at the State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja without further delay even as the team should be officially renamed the “Golden Flamingos”.

Interestingly, a precedence has been established when Nigeria’s u-17 boys team, the Golden Eaglets were honoured by the federal government after the team won the 1st FIFA/Kodak U-16 World Cup in China in 1985.

Following their 1985 victory in China where they defeated West Germany 2–0 in the final,  Major General Muhammadu Buhari officially named the team the “Golden Eaglets”.

The military government of Nigeria, led by Head of State, General Buhari, honored the victorious 1985 FIFA U-17 (then U-16) World Cup team—known as the Baby Eagles or Golden Eaglets—with a celebratory reception at Dodan Barracks in Lagos, where he promised the players houses and scholarships.

But before those original pledges could be fully fulfilled, the Buhari administration was overthrown in a palace coup in August 1985.

However, the honor was finally redeemed 30 years later also during the regime of Buhari as in January 2016, late President Muhammadu Buhari finally redeemed the long-standing promise by awarding each player a cash gift of ₦2 million, while the team coaches received ₦1.5 million each.

In keeping to the established traditional, past and present Nigerian leaders have rewarded sportsmen and women and teams that have won major international competitions and trophies for Nigeria.

Recently, President Tinubu fulfilled his promise of $100,000 (equivalent in naira) to 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations

(WAFCON) title-winning Super Falcons. He had earlier given out National Honours and keys for houses to the victorious team too.

Also, President Tinubu handed out National Honours, houses and cash of $100,000 (equivalent in naira) to Nigeria’s women’s basketball team,  D’Tigresses for winning African title last year.

With the Flamingos going higher by winning the global tournament, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, it is expected that the President has to continue in the tradition of rewarding the country’s sports ambassadors who brought glory to the Fatherland.

Nevertheless, with the Flamingos being presently underage, the federal government may consider giving the team National Honours of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and houses but convert the cash payment into stocks in the Central Bank of Nigeria or Treasury Bonds) as well as Educational Scholarships.

Pioneers of women’s football in Nigeria, (as captured in the book titled; Genesis Of Female Soccer In Nigeria (1991) written by veteran women’s football writer, Harry Awurumibe, deserve national honours because they laid the foundational groundwork, endured severe structural neglect, and built the unmatched continental dominance that Nigeria’s modern teams enjoy today.

In deed, the recent achievements of Nigeria’s women’s football teams in the continent and globally such as the Super Falcons’ milestone runs of incredible 10th WAFCON titles in 28 years, qualifying for every FIFA Women’s World Cup finals since 1991 and the historic triumph of the junior side  the Flamingos, stand directly on the sacrifices, sweat, and activism of early generations who fought not just for victories, but for basic team welfare and recognition.

These pioneers of women’s football in Nigeria include club owners/sponsors, players, coaches, early sports journalists and administrators who fought for the recognition of women’s football in the country at a time Nigeria Football Association (NFA) now federation did not recognise the game in the country in the early 1990s.

Specifically, club owners who planted the fruits Nigeria is harvesting today include Princess Hannah Bola Ngozi Jegede, owner of Princess Jegede Babes FC of Lagos; late Chief Larry Ezeh, proprietor of Larry Angels (now Rivers Angels) of PH; Otunba Christopher Abisuga, owner of Golden Womders FC of Lagos; Elder Eddington Bola Kuejubola, sponsor of Ufuoma Babes of Warri and Chief (Mrs) Simbiat MKO Abiola, proprietor of Indomitable Tigresses of Abeokuta.

Their efforts were complimented by the dogged fight of fearless sports journalist who dared to follow women’s football, providing an iron clad support and sustained full coverage of women’s football in the media at a time even cultural biases did not encourage young girls to play football like their male counterparts in many parts of Nigeria till today.

The trailblazers in women’s football reportage who popularised the game in Nigeria and beyond in early 1990s include four veteran women’s football journalists who also co-founded a sports pressure group called Female Football Interest Group (FFIG) which they and other colleagues and coaches used to promote the game and fight for the welfare of players and coaching crew.

They are Harry Awurumibe (formerly, Staff Reporter, Guardian Newspapers); late Ms. Henriette Ukaigwe ( formerly Reporter,  Vanguard Newspapers),  late Dapo Sotuminu (Sports Editor, Compass Newspapers) and US-based Dare Joseph (formerly Staff Reporter, Complete Sports).

Yet, there are sponsors of clubs and national women’s football teams especially Super Falcons whose financial supports helped to grow  women’s football in Nigeria.

They include former Nigeria’s 1st Lady, late Mrs Mariam Ibrahim Babangida, who was the first-ever 1st Lady of Nigeria to attend the Super Falcons international match at National Stadium Surulere, Lagos in June 1991 and Alhaji (Dr) Garba Hamza, a well known sports philanthropist and business mogul.

Others are Cadbury Nigeria Plc and Julius Berger Plc, two corporate bodies that gave then NFA money for the camping of the pioneer players and coaching crew of the first-ever Super Falcons team that qualified Nigeria for the first FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in China in 1991.

Finally, National Honours also should be extended to pioneer Super Falcons like Rita Nwadike who scored Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup goal in 1995; Eucharia Uche who scored Nigeria’s first hat-trick in FIFA Women’s World Cup African qualifiers and other foundational players who competed under harsh conditions and sometimes playing for months without proper equipment or boots.

It goes without saying that the above-mentioned pioneers of women’s football in Nigeria inspiring generations as they transformed public perception and by this way gave young girls across Nigeria and Africa a viable path in sports, proving that national recognition should look backward to honor the architects of the legacy, not just contemporary squads.

Now, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, has a golden opportunity to reset the Reward System of Nigeria by recognising  every generation that contributes to Nigeria’s sports or football success as both the past and present deserve to be remembered and celebrated.

This is the way to go so that “the labour of our heroes / heroines

past shall never be in vain”.