Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Ghana, Togo and Niger in Group B of the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Girls Cup as they step up preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The regional tournament will be staged in Cote d’Ivoire from September 15 to 27, with Nigeria drawn into a four-team group alongside three familiar West African opponents.
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Benin make up Group A.
The Flamingos reunion with Ghana immediately stands out. recall that Nigeria and Ghana met in the final of the inaugural WAFU B U-17 Girls Cup in 2024, with the Black Maidens eventually claiming the title after a 2-2 draw was settled on penalties.
Nigeria will also renew their rivalry with Niger, whom they defeated 9-0 during the 2024 competition. Shakirat Moshood scored four times in that emphatic victory, while Janet Akekoromowei added a hat-trick.
Another test before the World Cup
The competition arrives at an important stage of Nigeria’s preparations for the global tournament.
The Flamingos secured their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after overcoming Benin Republic 8-5 on aggregate in the final round of African qualifying.
Nigeria won the first leg 3-2 before completing the job with a 5-3 victory in the return fixture, with Queen Joseph scoring a hat-trick in the second leg.
The WAFU B tournament now offers head coach Akeem Busari an opportunity to test his squad against competitive opposition before the World Cup.
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Ghana will arguably provide the sternest group-stage examination, with the Black Maidens also qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Senegal on penalties following a 2-2 aggregate draw.
The Nigeria-Ghana meeting will therefore bring together two West African sides preparing for the same global challenge, while also reopening a rivalry that produced a dramatic final in the previous edition.
The Flamingos will be aiming to improve on their runners-up finish from 2024, but the tournament’s bigger value could come from the competitive preparation it provides ahead of Morocco.
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