President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their 2-1 victory over Japan to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Saturday.
Tinubu’s congratulatory message came after Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, was seen cheering the team during the final from her residence, chanting “Nigeria! Nigeria!” as the players battled Japan for the trophy.
The President’s message was contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday.
“What wonderful news to return home to! Our young girls have conquered the world and given Nigerians everywhere another reason to celebrate our great country.
“To our gallant Flamingos, I say congratulations. You have shown courage, discipline, determination and the Nigerian spirit of never giving up,” Tinubu said.
The President, who received the news after returning from campaign engagements in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states, described the victory as a proud moment for Nigeria and a landmark achievement for African women’s football.
He said he had followed the team’s progress throughout the tournament and recalled that the players had promised to bring home the trophy after their semi-final victory.
“Today, you have kept that promise. You believed in yourselves, fought for one another and carried our nation’s flag to the very top of the world,” he said.
Tinubu added that the victory would inspire millions of young Nigerian girls to pursue their dreams, noting that it demonstrated what they could achieve through hard work, opportunity and determination.
He particularly commended Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku, whose goals secured Nigeria’s victory, while praising the entire squad for their teamwork throughout the competition.
The President also congratulated the coaching crew, the Nigeria Football Federation and the National Sports Commission for their contributions to the team’s success.
The Flamingos secured the title with goals from Bashiru in the 39th minute and Umejiaku in the 47th minute at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat. Japan’s Fuki Ito scored in the 80th minute, but Nigeria held on to win.
The victory made Nigeria the first African nation to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the first African country to claim titles in both the men’s and women’s U-17 categories. The Flamingos also became the first team in the competition’s history to lose their opening match and go on to win the title, having suffered a 2-1 defeat to Poland in the group stage.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to investing in grassroots sports development and expanding opportunities for young Nigerians, particularly girls, to discover and develop their potential.
