Queen Joseph’s hat-trick powers Nigeria to a dramatic 5-3 victory and an 8-5 aggregate triumph.
Nigeria’s Flamingos have secured their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Benin Republic 5-3 in an action-packed second-leg qualifier played in Lomé, Togo.
The victory ensured the Nigeria U-17 women’s team qualified for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with an 8-5 aggregate score, having taken a slender 3-2 advantage from the first leg in Ikenne into the decisive encounter.
Coach Akeem Busari’s side produced another impressive attacking display to confirm Nigeria as one of Africa’s four automatic qualifiers for the tournament, which will be staged in Morocco from October 17 to November 7, 2026.
Nigeria made the perfect start when Mary Akpan found the back of the net in the sixth minute to hand the Flamingos an early lead.
Benin responded quickly through Romaine Gandonou, but the Flamingos regained control with Esther Enne Stephen restoring Nigeria’s advantage in the 15th minute before Queen Joseph added a third goal just four minutes later.
The Queen Joseph hat-trick against Benin in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers proved decisive after the restart.
The prolific forward converted from the penalty spot in the 54th minute to stretch Nigeria’s lead before Benin mounted a spirited comeback. Hermionne Lokossou reduced the deficit, while Gandonou converted a penalty to keep the contest alive.
However, Queen Joseph completed her memorable performance in the 76th minute, scoring her third goal of the match to put the result beyond doubt and secure Nigeria’s qualification for the global tournament.
The victory highlights another successful chapter for Nigeria’s women’s youth football programme, with the Flamingos once again demonstrating their strength on the continental stage.
By booking their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, the Flamingos will look to continue Nigeria’s proud tradition in the competition and build on the country’s impressive record in international youth women’s football.
The convincing aggregate success also underlines the attacking quality within Akeem Busari’s squad as the team now shifts its focus to preparing for the world tournament later this year.