Nigeria’s Flamingos start their 2026 U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers at the second round, facing Niger-Guinea winner in Africa’s race to Morocco

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has outlined Nigeria’s route to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco following the draw for the African qualifiers on Saturday.

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Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, will enter the qualification campaign at the second round, scheduled to face the winner of the preliminary tie between Niger and Guinea.

The first leg of that encounter is set for 22–24 May, with the return leg fixed for 29–31 May.

Victorious in that tie, the Flamingos will progress to the third round, with fixtures pencilled in for early July.

The first leg of the third round will be played between 3–5 July, and the return leg from 10–12 July, as African teams compete for limited spots at the global tournament.

The draw confirmed Nigeria were granted a bye to the third round, reflecting their strong pedigree at this level. Other second-round fixtures include Burkina Faso vs Benin, Tunisia vs Senegal, Algeria vs Cameroon, Ghana vs Togo, and South Africa vs the Central African Republic.

Winners will advance to decisive pairings to determine Africa’s four qualifiers, joining host Morocco at the tournament.

The Flamingos approach the qualifiers with a remarkable record.

Nigeria are the only African side to have qualified for eight of nine editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup since its inception in 2008.

Their best finish came in 2022, when they secured a bronze medal in India, after missing the previous edition in Uruguay.

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At continental level, Nigeria have featured nine times in African U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification campaigns and are now chasing a record-extending 10th qualification for the tournament.