According to a report by FIFA.com on Saturday, October 24, 2026, Ghana have become the latest African country to secure qualification for the Round of 16 of the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, joining Nigeria in the knockout phase following an important victory over Canada.

The Ghanaian U-17 women's national team, popularly known as the Black Maidens, confirmed their progression after defeating Canada 2-0 in their final Group C encounter. The result ensured that Ghana finished second in their group and earned a place among the teams competing in the next stage of the tournament.

Ghana's qualification came shortly after Nigeria's Flamingos successfully secured their own place in the Round of 16 with a convincing 3-1 victory against defending champions North Korea on Friday, October 23.

The Nigerian youngsters delivered an impressive performance against the Asian side, with Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opening the scoring in the 15th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the advantage in the 38th minute.

Kanyinsola Yusuf added Nigeria's third goal in the 56th minute, putting the Flamingos in a commanding position. Although North Korea eventually reduced the deficit through a late penalty converted by Yu Jong-hyang, Nigeria maintained their advantage until the final whistle.

The victory helped the Flamingos finish their group-stage campaign with six points, placing them second in Group B behind North Korea, who occupied the top position due to their superior goal difference.

Meanwhile, Ghana's journey to the knockout stage was far from straightforward, as the Black Maidens experienced a difficult beginning to their campaign.

The West African side suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Norway in their opening group fixture on October 18, leaving them under pressure to produce better performances in their remaining matches.

However, Ghana demonstrated determination in their second encounter against Brazil on October 21, recovering from setbacks during the match to earn a thrilling 3-3 draw.

That result kept their qualification hopes alive before they eventually secured the crucial victory over Canada to guarantee their advancement.

Following the conclusion of their group-stage matches, Ghana are scheduled to face Argentina in the Round of 16, while Nigeria's next opponents will be determined by the competition's final group standings.

The qualification of both Nigeria and Ghana represents an encouraging development for African football, with the two West African nations hoping to continue their impressive performances in the knockout rounds.

With Morocco hosting the tournament from October 17 to November 7, attention will now turn to whether the remaining African representatives can progress further and compete for the prestigious U-17 Women's World Cup trophy.