Nigeria’s Flamingos have arrived at their official base in Rabat ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Completesports reports.
In their final tune-up, Bankole Olowookere’s squad edged Paraguay 3–2 in Casablanca on Tuesday night.
The scoring began almost instantly. Goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface played a precise long ball to captain Shakirat Moshood, who laid it off for Mariam Yahaya, and she chipped the Paraguayan keeper to put Nigeria ahead within two minutes.
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Paraguay equalized in the 15th minute after a defensive error by Christiana Sunday. But Nigeria reclaimed the lead just before halftime: a defensive mix-up allowed Yahaya to score her second in the 44th minute and then her third in the 45th, via a neat pass from Kaosarat Olanrewaju.
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Paraguay managed another late goal through another defensive lapse, but it proved insufficient. Placed in Group D, the Flamingos will begin their World Cup campaign against Canada on Sunday, October 19. They will then take on France three days later, before concluding their group plays versus Samoa on October 25.
Editorial
Arriving in Rabat, the Flamingos carry more than dreams they carry a nation’s hopes, tempered by history and sharpened by ambition. Their journey is not just about a tournament it is a narrative of resurgence, of youth talent thrust into the crucible of global stage, with all its glamour and ruthlessness.
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Their 3–2 win over Paraguay, in truth, was more than a warm up it was a statement. Yahaya’s hat trick reminded us that in age group tournaments, individuals can shift momentum single handedly. Yet the match also laid bare vulnerabilities defensive lapses that could be exploited by stronger, more disciplined teams. The duality is familiar in youth football a mixture of brilliance and fragility.
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The draw in Group D offers a brutal test. Canada, with their athleticism and structure, will be formidable. France, ever the European standard-bearer, will demand composure and tactical acumen. Samoa may present a stage to assert dominance. But Nigeria cannot afford to approach any game with overconfidence.
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What concerns me is not just performance but preparation. Having baselined their form with a spirited win, the Flamingos must now calibrate their focus mental strength, rotational balance, and defensive stability. In tournaments, momentum is fragile one slip, one misread, and everything can tilt.
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Over decades, Nigerian football has been famed for individual talent. But global tournaments increasingly demand collective coherence. The challenge for Olowookere is to weave those gifted individuals into a cohesive collective, ready for pressure, transition, and ambiguity.
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If Nigeria is to make a mark, it will be because they marry flair with discipline, promise with . Rabat is their ambush point, but Canada is waiting. That opening match may yet define whether this Flamingos squad soars or is clipped before it can really fly.
Did You Know?
Mariam Yahaya’s hat-trick in that match marked her first international treble at any level for Nigeria.
Shakirat Moshood, the Flamingos’ captain, began her youth career as a central midfielder before being converted into a [forward](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/football-history/rashidi-yekini-hero-who-fired-nigeria-to-first-world-cup/) in her late teens.
Elizabeth Boniface, their goalkeeper, was scouted at age 14 during a regional youth tournament in Northern Nigeria and later moved to a European youth academy.
Nigeria’s U-17 Women’s team is known as the Flamingos in homage to the pink plumage, which is also used in their kits and branding to symbolize grace and tenacity.
The Flamingos’ qualification campaign featured a record margin Nigeria posted a 9–0 aggregate victory in one qualifying round, the [biggest margin](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/category/football-tactics-and-analysis/) in that stage during that cycle.