Adedokun Waliyu 
The Senate has pledged a ₦100 million reward for the Flamingos following the Nigeria Under-17 women’s national football team’s historic triumph at the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
The pledge followed a motion moved by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Abdul Ningi, who congratulated the players on their outstanding performance and commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for its role in the team’s achievement.
The Flamingos made history on Saturday by becoming the first African team to win the tournament after defeating Japan 2–1 in the final in Morocco.
Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the lead two minutes into the second half. Japan pulled one back in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian side held on to secure the title.
The victory capped an impressive campaign in which the Flamingos recovered from a 2–1 opening defeat to Poland to win five consecutive matches.
They defeated defending champions North Korea 3–1, Mexico 2–1 and Venezuela 1–0 before recording a 3–1 victory over Brazil in the semi-finals to reach their first-ever final at the competition.
Nigeria’s previous best finish at the tournament was third place in 2022, when the team defeated Germany on penalties.
Before the World Cup, the Flamingos had also won the 2026 WAFU-B Under-17 Girls Cup in Côte d’Ivoire, winning all five matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding just once.
While commending President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians for their support, the Senate also called on the Federal Government to ensure adequate funding for sports development in the country.
Lawmakers stressed the need to sustain the momentum of the victory by investing in young sporting talents and providing the necessary support for the nation’s future champions.
