Flamingos Fly Into World Cup Knockouts After 4-0 Thrashing of Samoa

Nigeria's U17 women's national team, the Flamingos, secured a dramatic spot in the knockout rounds of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Samoa on Saturday evening. The must-win performance at the Mohammed VI Football Academy came after a difficult start to the tournament, which saw them suffer a 4-1 defeat to Canada and a narrow 1-0 loss to France.

Star striker Queen Joseph was the catalyst for the turnaround, netting a fine brace. Shakirat Moshood added a penalty before Azeezat Oduntan sealed the win with a superb long-range strike.

Coach Bankole Olowookere’s tactical changes paid dividends, particularly the debut of goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu in place of the error-prone Elizabeth Boniface. Echefu showed “composure and a couple of brilliant late saves to preserve a clean sheet.”

The Flamingos started brightly, with Joseph opening the scoring in the 12th minute with a close-range finish. Moments later, Moshood converted a penalty after VAR spotted a handball. By the 34th minute, Joseph struck again with “another poacher’s effort, to make it 3-0 before the break.”

Though Moshood had a second penalty saved in the second half, Nigeria’s dominance was clear. Oduntan completed the scoring in the 67th minute with a "stunning curling effort from the edge of the box." The victory ensures the Flamingos advance as one of the best third-placed teams, joining hosts Morocco in the last 16. They now await a tough opponent, possibly North Korea or Italy.