Nigeria’s under-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, began their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign in Morocco with a 2–1 defeat to Poland.
Poland took the lead in the 33rd minute when Wiktoria Skrzypczak converted a penalty, giving her side an advantage before the interval.
The European team extended its lead in the 65th minute through Natalia Skrok, putting Nigeria under pressure as the match progressed.
The Flamingos responded in the 79th minute when Oluebube Umejiaku scored to reduce the deficit and give the Nigerian team hope of securing a comeback.
Despite their late effort, Nigeria could not find an equaliser before the final whistle, allowing Poland to claim all three points from the encounter.
The result leaves the Flamingos needing a strong response in their remaining group matches against Puerto Rico and North Korea.
Nigeria will now have to improve its performance and secure points in the upcoming fixtures to strengthen its chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
The opening defeat is a setback for the young Nigerian players, but the team still has an opportunity to recover and continue its World Cup campaign.
