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According to a report by Flashscore on Saturday, November 7, 2026, Nigeria's Flamingos increased their advantage against Japan in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup final after Oluebube Umejiaku scored in the 47th minute to make the score 2-0.
The Nigerian youngsters made an excellent start to the second half, finding the back of the net just two minutes after the restart. Umejiaku showed composure in front of goal as she calmly finished her opportunity to put Nigeria in a commanding position.
The goal was a significant moment for the Flamingos, who had already taken a 1-0 lead into the dressing room following Awawu Bashiru's 39th-minute opener.
Bashiru had given Nigeria the advantage with a long-range effort from outside the penalty area. Japan goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki failed to handle the strike properly, allowing the ball to slip through her hands and enter the net. Mary Dunstan provided the assist for the opening goal.
Umejiaku's second-half contribution further strengthened Nigeria's position and increased the pressure on Japan, who were now required to score at least twice to take the contest beyond Nigeria's advantage.
The forward had already demonstrated her importance to the Flamingos throughout the tournament. Before the final, she had scored three goals in the competition, making her one of Nigeria's leading attacking threats.
She also came close to scoring during the first half against Japan when her effort struck the crossbar in the 37th minute. However, she eventually found the breakthrough early in the second half, giving the Nigerian supporters another reason to celebrate.
Nigeria entered the final after an impressive 3-1 victory over Brazil in the semi-finals. That result secured their first-ever appearance in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup final and gave them an opportunity to make African football history.
Japan, meanwhile, were hoping to recover from the two-goal deficit and keep their championship ambitions alive. The Asian side had previously won the competition in 2014 and possessed considerable experience at this level.
However, Umejiaku's goal placed the Flamingos in a very promising position as they continued their pursuit of the trophy.
With the scoreline now 2-0 in Nigeria's favour after 47 minutes, the team needed to remain disciplined, maintain its concentration and avoid allowing Japan back into the contest.
The Flamingos were getting closer to a historic achievement that could make Nigeria the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.