Flamingos beat Brazil 3–1 to reach the Under-17 Women’s World Cup final

Queen Joseph broke the deadlock and Awawu Bashiru scored twice as Nigeria beat Brazil 3–1 on November 4, 2026, to reach their first FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup final. The Flamingos will meet Japan in Morocco after a second-half surge that transformed a tense semi-final into one of the landmark results in Nigerian women’s youth football.

The Nigeria Football Federation’s account places the match at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat and credits Nigeria with 30 attempts. Joseph’s opening goal was followed by Bashiru’s finishes in the 71st and 80th minutes. Brazil’s Greise scored in the 89th minute, by which point Nigeria had established a decisive cushion.

Joseph opens the door, Bashiru finishes the job

The first half ended without a goal, despite Nigeria’s efforts to take the lead. The NFF reports early attempts from Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Oluebube Umejiaku, while Joseph was denied by the Brazilian goalkeeper in the 21st minute. Those names have been prominent in Nigeria’s knockout campaign, and the semi-final gave Joseph another opportunity to turn pressure into a breakthrough.

CAF’s November 4 report records her goal in the 55th minute. Bashiru then supplied two strikes nine minutes apart. The midfielder’s contribution gave the match a second central figure: Nigeria’s route to the final was secured by both the player who opened the scoring and the teammate who put the game beyond Brazil’s reach.

For coach Akeem Busari’s side, the result also represented a different kind of knockout victory from the one that had taken them into the last four. Against Venezuela, the decisive moment came almost at the end. Against Brazil, Nigeria built a lead during the second half and extended it before the closing minutes.

A knockout run built through different tests

Nigeria had reached the quarter-finals with a 2–1 victory over Mexico, as recorded in the NFF’s round-of-16 report. The next hurdle was Venezuela on November 1, a match decided by Azeezat Oduntan’s 89th-minute penalty.

FIFA’s quarter-final review describes Oduntan converting after Nigeria were awarded a spot-kick for a foul in the penalty area. Umejiaku and Adegbuyi had earlier sent efforts wide as the Flamingos searched for a goal. The late winner earned Nigeria only their second semi-final appearance in the competition.

Oduntan’s intervention and Bashiru’s semi-final double show how the responsibility for decisive moments has been shared. Nigeria have not needed the same player to settle every round. That gives supporters several players to follow in the final: Joseph around goal, Bashiru arriving from midfield, Oduntan after her quarter-final penalty, and the attacking teammates who have repeatedly featured in the team’s chances.

Japan arrive after their own dramatic escape

Japan’s semi-final on November 4 followed a very different path. Trailing defending champions DPR Korea, they equalised through a Won Sol-gyong own goal in the fifth minute of added time before winning the penalty shootout. FIFA’s account of that match highlights goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki’s shootout save and Asuka Tanaka’s decisive penalty.

It is Japan’s first final since 2016. They won this tournament in 2014, and their present squad overcame Ghana in the quarter-finals. Against Ghana, Nanami Kurita scored the only goal and Fuki Ito was named Player of the Match in FIFA’s November 1 review.

The final therefore brings together teams with recent experience of winning close contests. Nigeria found a late answer against Venezuela; Japan survived until the final moments against DPR Korea. For the Flamingos, protecting any advantage all the way to the whistle will be particularly valuable against opponents whose semi-final was rescued so late.

From bronze in India to a title opportunity

Nigeria’s previous benchmark was the 2022 bronze medal. FIFA’s review of that tournament records a 3–3 draw with Germany followed by a 3–2 Nigerian victory on penalties. Reaching the 2026 final takes the country beyond that earlier finish and guarantees a place among the tournament’s top two.

The immediate focus is now on converting a breakthrough campaign into a complete final performance. Nigeria’s attacking players have delivered across successive rounds; Japan’s goalkeeper and penalty takers have just carried them through a demanding semi-final. The next match puts those achievements into direct competition, with the Flamingos one victory from a first title.