Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have arrived in Lomé, Togo, ahead of their decisive second leg clash against Benin Republic in the final round of the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Nigerian delegation, made up of players and officials, landed safely at the Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport on Thursday and immediately settled into their camp at the prestigious Hôtel Le Pélican.
The Flamingos are in high spirits as they prepare for the crucial encounter, with head coach Akeem Busari expected to put his squad through their first training session in Lomé later in the day.
The session will allow the team to fine tune tactics and make final preparations before the important fixture.
Saturday’s match will take place at the Stade de Kegue, where the Nigerian girls will be aiming to complete the job after securing a hard fought 3-2 victory in the first leg.
The narrow win has given the Flamingos a slight advantage, but the team knows that another strong performance will be needed to overcome a determined Benin side.
The Flamingos have been one of the strongest teams in African youth women’s football in recent years and will be hoping to continue that impressive record by booking a place at the global tournament.
The players are expected to rely on their experience, discipline and attacking quality as they seek a positive result away from home.
Benin Republic, however, will be encouraged by the close scoreline from the first leg and are expected to come out strongly in front of their supporters. This means the Nigerian team must remain focused throughout the encounter to avoid any surprises.
The winner of the two legged contest on aggregate will secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Morocco in October.
For the Flamingos, the match represents another opportunity to showcase their talent and continue Nigeria’s proud tradition in women’s football on the international stage.
