Flamingos stun holders DPR Korea 3-1 to reach U-17 Women’s World Cup last 16
Goals from Adegbuyi, Umejiaku and Yusuf beat the two-time defending champions in Morocco. Nigeria face the Group F runners-up on Thursday, 29 October.
Nigeria’s Flamingos beat the defending champions, DPR Korea, 3-1 at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Friday, 23 October 2026, to reach the round of 16. Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Oluebube Umejiaku and Kanyinsola Yusuf scored on Pitch 1 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex before Yu Jong-hyang converted a late penalty for the Asian side, according to FIFA. Yusuf was named Player of the Match. Why it matters…
Nigeria’s Flamingos beat the defending champions, DPR Korea, 3-1 at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Friday, 23 October 2026, to reach the round of 16.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Oluebube Umejiaku and Kanyinsola Yusuf scored on Pitch 1 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex before Yu Jong-hyang converted a late penalty for the Asian side, according to FIFA. Yusuf was named Player of the Match.
Why it matters
DPR Korea arrived in Morocco as two-time defending champions and had scored 12 goals and conceded one in winning their first two Group B games, FIFA’s results show. Friday was their first defeat at these finals. FIFA called Nigeria’s victory “a win for the ages”.
The Flamingos went into the game second in the group, level with Poland on three points, after losing 2-1 to Poland on 17 October and beating Puerto Rico 2-0 on 20 October. Nigeria won bronze at the 2022 edition of the tournament.
How the goals came
Adegbuyi opened the scoring in the 15th minute, collecting the ball on the left, holding off a defender and finishing with her right foot, FIFA’s match report says. She had also scored against Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
Umejiaku made it 2-0 in the 38th minute, running through the DPR Korea half and beating the goalkeeper, Kim Son-gyong. DPR Korea pressed after half-time, but Yusuf put the game beyond them in the 56th minute with a free-kick FIFA described as “exquisitely-taken”.
Yu, who became the tournament’s all-time top scorer earlier in the week according to FIFA, pulled a goal back from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute.
What they said
“I’m super proud of my team-mates because they all came out and chose to play,” the Nigeria captain, Azeezat Oduntan, told FIFA. She added: “I feel excited but we are not there yet because we just qualified for the next round.”
The DPR Korea coach, Ji Yun-nam, said: “Playing against a strong team like Nigeria made me realise how challenging it is to compete at the world level.” He added that his side needed “to prepare better in terms of strength”.
How Group B finished: a GistMatrix guide
The group ended in a three-way tie on six points, with each of the top three beating one of the others: Poland beat Nigeria, Nigeria beat DPR Korea, and DPR Korea beat Poland 6-1. This is the final table, from FIFA’s published results and standings:
- DPR Korea: 6 points, 13 goals scored, 4 conceded (first)
- Nigeria: 6 points, 6 scored, 3 conceded (second)
- Poland: 6 points, 9 scored, 9 conceded (third)
- Puerto Rico: 0 points, 2 scored, 14 conceded
Poland also go through, FIFA said, after beating Puerto Rico 6-2 on Friday.
Who will Nigeria play next?
As Group B runners-up, Nigeria face the team that finishes second in Group F on Thursday, 29 October, on Pitch 2 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex, according to FIFA’s schedule. DPR Korea play one of the best third-placed teams on Wednesday.
Group F ends on Sunday, 25 October, when Chile play Spain and Mexico play Australia. FIFA’s schedule already has Spain, who have won both their games, as group winners. Mexico have three points, and Chile and Australia one each.
What happens next
- Sunday, 25 October: the last Group F games decide Nigeria’s opponent.
- Thursday, 29 October: round of 16, Nigeria v the Group F runners-up.
- Sunday, 1 November: quarter-finals.
- Wednesday, 4 November: semi-finals.
- Saturday, 7 November: the final, at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
Are you in Morocco with the Flamingos, or do you know one of the players’ families? Tell GistMatrix and send us your photos and videos.
Sources
- FIFA: Nigeria stun DPR Korea as Argentina, Poland progress (23 Oct 2026)
- FIFA: Nigeria v DPR Korea, match centre (23 Oct 2026)
- FIFA: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026 fixtures and results (accessed 24 Oct 2026)
- FIFA on YouTube: Nigeria vs DPR Korea Highlights
- TVC News: Flamingos Stun Defending Champions DPR Korea 3-1 To Reach U-17 World Cup Round Of 16 (23 Oct 2026)
- Vanguard: U-17 WWC: Flamingos beat North Korea 3-1 to reach knockout stage (23 Oct 2026)
- GistMatrix: Group B table and round of 16 path, from FIFA’s published results and schedule (24 Oct 2026)
