Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, will begin their 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup campaign against Poland on Saturday, October 17, at Pitch 4 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, with all eyes on securing a winning start.
The Flamingos will be eager to improve on their performance at the previous edition, where their campaign ended in the Round of 16 following a 4-0 defeat to Italy.
Nigeria secured qualification for the tournament after navigating a challenging campaign, overcoming Guinea and Benin Republic to book their place in Morocco. The team also demonstrated their attacking quality, scoring freely throughout the qualifying process.
Poland, meanwhile, return to the competition after missing the 2025 edition. Their last appearance came in 2024 in the Dominican Republic, where they progressed to the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Korea DPR.
Saturday’s encounter will mark the first meeting between Nigeria and Poland at this level, adding another layer of intrigue to the opening fixture as the Flamingos seek to launch their campaign with three points.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside Poland, Puerto Rico and defending champions Korea DPR, making a positive start particularly important as they pursue a deeper run in the tournament.
The 2022 bronze-medallists will now look to turn their preparations and qualifying performances into a strong opening result against the European side.
