Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, fell to a narrow 1–0 defeat against France in their second Group D fixture at the ongoing 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Wednesday night.
Despite a much-improved display from their 4–1 loss to Canada, the young Nigerian side were undone by a late goal from Maïssa Fathallah, leaving them with zero points after two games.
Match Summary
The match, held at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé, saw both teams adopt a cautious approach early on. Nigeria created the better chances through Chisom Nwachukwu and Queen Joseph, but French goalkeeper Chevray Lauryne produced key saves to deny the Flamingos.
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France’s Luna Laboucarie came close to scoring in the 62nd minute, only to be denied by a crucial goal-line clearance from Jumai Adebayo.
However, France eventually found the breakthrough in the 81st minute when substitute Maïssa Fathallah fired a low shot past Nigeria’s goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface.
The Flamingos pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but France’s defense stood strong to secure a second straight victory and a place in the Round of 16.
Group D Standings After Matchday 2
| Team | MP | GD | PTS |
| Canada U17 W | 2 | +9 | 6 |
| France U17 W | 2 | +3 | 6 |
| Nigeria U17 W | 2 | -4 | 0 |
| Samoa U17 W | 2 | -8 | 0 |
The result leaves Nigeria bottom of Group D with no points and a goal difference of -4. France and Canada top the group with six points each, while Samoa sit fourth also without a point.
Reactions
Speaking after the match, Nigeria’s head coach Bankole Olowookere expressed disappointment over the late goal but praised his team’s fighting spirit:
“The game we played against France was much better than the one against Canada. If we had shown the same kind of fight in that first game, I don’t think we’d be in this situation now. It was really unfortunate to concede that late goal — painful and heartbreaking — but we’ll keep working hard to stay in the tournament.”
France coach Mickael Ferreira lauded the Nigerian team’s resilience, describing them as ‘very united and brave,’ while praising his players’ response to the physical challenge.
What’s Next for Nigeria
Nigeria will face Samoa on Saturday, October 25, in their final group stage match. The Flamingos must win convincingly and hope other results go their way to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
The girls will now focus on regaining confidence and securing a strong finish to keep their tournament hopes alive.
