Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, suffered a narrow 1–0 loss to France in their second Group D match at the ongoing 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat on Wednesday night.
After a much-improved display following their 4–1 opening defeat to Canada, Bankole Olowookere’s girls were undone by an 81st-minute goal from Maïssa Fathallah, who capitalized on a rebound after goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface failed to clear the danger.
The Flamingos started brightly, pressing high and defending with better organization against the Europeans. They created a few openings but couldn’t find the breakthrough, as France’s backline and goalkeeper held firm.
Manchester City’s Nigeria-eligible forward, Rachael Adedini, featured for France and showed flashes of quality before being substituted at halftime for Camille Marmillot.
Despite their spirited performance, Nigeria’s late lapse proved costly. The defeat leaves them bottom of Group D without a point from two matches.
To keep their qualification hopes alive, the Flamingos must defeat Samoa in their final group game on Saturday, October 25, to stand a chance of advancing to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.
