Nigerian U-17 Stars Show Off Dancing Skills After Reaching FIFA World Cup Quarter-Finals, Video
- Nigeria's Flamingos beat Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16 of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup on Thursday
- Goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Mary Akpan Dunstan secured the win before Mexico pulled one back late in stoppage time
- A video of the Flamingos dancing on the pitch after the victory went viral, drawing reactions from Nigerian fans on social media
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Nigeria's U-17 women's football team, the Flamingos, booked a quarterfinal spot at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mexico in their Round of 16 clash on Thursday, with the players' on-pitch celebration quickly going viral.
Head coach Hakeem Busari's side took the lead just before the break, when Oluebube Umejiaku found the net in the 40th minute to give Nigeria a 1-0 advantage at half-time.
Source: Getty Images
As seen on CAF's official website, Nigeria continued to push after the restart and were rewarded in the 72nd minute when Mary Akpan Dunstan scored to double the lead.
The 2-0 cushion appeared to put the tie beyond Mexico's reach, but Emily Delgado pulled one back in the tenth minute of added time to set up a nervy finish.
Despite the late drama, the Flamingos held on to win 2-1 and confirm their place among the last eight teams in the tournament.
The result continued a strong run of form for the Flamingos, who entered the knockout rounds with momentum after defeating defending champions North Korea 3-1 in their final group-stage game.
Fans celebrate as Flamingos viral dance video
After the final whistle, the Flamingos did not hold back in their celebrations.
A video of the players dancing jubilantly on the pitch made the rounds on social media and drew an outpouring of support from Nigerians online.
Pooja wrote on X:
"The girls always give us joy ❤️🇳🇬"
Deyks offered a mix of praise and caution:
"Beautiful game, beautiful goals and beautiful dance steps but the defence still needs some more work."
Udeh Samuel posted:
"Nigeria na footballing nation ma just base on one or two when dey affect us at the top level."
Linda Harris added:
"The pipeline keeps feeding Nigeria joy."
Topnotch kept it short:
"Dem b real joy giver."
Nigeria's quarterfinal opponent confirmed
With the win secured, Nigeria now turn their attention to a quarterfinal date with Venezuela on Sunday, November 1, as they continue their bid for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title.
The Flamingos' campaign has been built on attacking intent and youthful energy, with the performances of players like Umejiaku and Dunstan drawing wide attention.
Their clinical finishing against Mexico proved the difference between the two sides and kept Nigeria firmly on course for a deep run in the competition.
FIFA reacts as Falconets beat England
In another development, Legit.ng reported the Falconets’ 3-0 win over England, which sent Nigeria into the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The victory set a new record margin for Nigeria against England in a World Cup meeting, while goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma’s penalty save helped keep the Falconets in control.
Source: Legit.ng
