Flamingos beat Puerto Rico 2-0 to set up U-17 World Cup decider against DPR Korea

Nigeria’s Flamingos beat Puerto Rico 2-0 at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, keeping their hopes of a place in the round of 16 alive before their final Group B match against the defending champions, DPR Korea, on Friday.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi scored in the 25th minute and the substitute Precious Oscar added the second in the third minute of added time on Pitch 4 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, according to FIFA and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). It was Nigeria’s first win of the tournament after a 2-1 defeat by Poland in their opening match on Saturday.

Why it matters

Defeat would have left the Flamingos on the brink of going home. The win lifts them level with Poland on three points, behind DPR Korea, who have already qualified for the round of 16 after scoring six goals in each of their first two games. Nigeria, bronze medallists at the 2022 edition, now go into the last round of group games with their fate partly in their own hands.

How the goals came

Nigeria started brightly. FIFA’s match report says Queen Joseph forced a save from the Puerto Rico goalkeeper, Victoria Moore-Torres, in the second minute, and the captain, Chidi Harmony, hit the crossbar with a powerful shot.

The opening goal came from a poor clearance. Joseph put Adegbuyi through, her first effort was blocked by two defenders, and the No14 struck the loose ball home. She was named Player of the Match.

Puerto Rico, still looking for their first goal at a World Cup, came close in the second half, but the Nigeria goalkeeper, Jane Ijirigho, tipped Isabella Sanabria-Cora’s shot from the edge of the box over the bar. FIFA says Ijirigho, at 192cm, is the tallest player at the finals. The coach, Akeem Busari, sent on Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku in the 67th minute, and Oscar sealed the win late on by heading in a cross from Adegbuyi, the NFF said.

What they said

“The game was not easy for us, but we tried our best and we were able to get the three points today,” Adegbuyi told FIFA after the match. She added: “I’m very happy to score here, on the biggest stage of my life, because this is just the beginning. I promise to make my family and the whole nation proud.”

Busari told FIFA his young side had responded well to the defeat by Poland. “When you are down, you look at each other and ask, ‘how do you come back?’ This is what I was saying to the girls,” he said. He also praised his goalkeeper: “For Jane, she’s having a fantastic tournament.”

The Puerto Rico coach, Andres Mirabelli, was unhappy with his side’s start. “I’m not happy with how we played in the first half,” he told FIFA.

What do Nigeria need on Friday? A GistMatrix guide

The top two teams in each of the six groups go through to the round of 16, together with the four best third-placed teams. This is Group B after two matches, from the results published by FIFA:

• DPR Korea: 6 points, 12 goals scored and 1 conceded (qualified)
• Nigeria: 3 points, 3 scored, 2 conceded
• Poland: 3 points, 3 scored, 7 conceded
• Puerto Rico: 0 points, 0 scored, 8 conceded

On Friday, Nigeria play DPR Korea and Poland play Puerto Rico. On those numbers:

• A win takes Nigeria to six points and guarantees them at least third place. If Poland also win, three teams would finish on six points and FIFA’s tie-breakers would decide the order.
• A draw takes Nigeria to four points. They would finish second if Poland lose, third if Poland win, and level with Poland on four points if that game is drawn, with the tie-breakers deciding.
• A defeat leaves Nigeria on three points and depending on Poland’s result, the tie-breakers and, if they finish third, the results in the other five groups.

It will not be easy. DPR Korea’s Yu Jong-hyang became the all-time top scorer at the tournament on Tuesday with her 12th goal in the 6-1 win over Poland, FIFA said. Busari was unfazed. “DPR Korea are beating everybody – it shows how powerful they are. But it’s football,” he told FIFA.

What happens next

• Friday, 23 October 2026: Nigeria v DPR Korea, the Flamingos’ last Group B match.
• The round of 16: the top two in each group and the four best third-placed teams go through once the group stage ends.
• Watch again: FIFA’s official highlights of Nigeria v Puerto Rico are on FIFA+.

Are you in Rabat with the Flamingos, or do you know one of the players’ families? Tell GistMatrix and send us your photos and videos.