According to a report by Daily Post on Sunday, November 8, 2026, Nigeria's Flamingos forward, Oluebube Umejiaku, has expressed excitement following the team's remarkable achievement at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, while acknowledging the important role played by the coaches in their historic success.

Nigeria's U-17 women's national team secured their first-ever title in the competition after overcoming Japan 2-1 in an entertaining final. The victory marked a significant milestone for Nigerian women's football, with the Flamingos finally reaching the summit of the tournament after several previous attempts.

The achievement was particularly impressive because Nigeria became the first team in the history of the competition to lose their opening match and still go on to win the championship. Despite suffering an early setback, the Nigerian girls remained determined, improved their performances and eventually completed an extraordinary journey to the title.

Umejiaku played an important role in the final against Japan, producing another impressive display to help her country secure the trophy. Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring for Nigeria before the break, giving the Flamingos an advantage in the contest.

However, Japan continued to fight for a comeback, making the encounter increasingly competitive. Umejiaku eventually scored Nigeria's second goal, which proved crucial as the Flamingos held on to claim a memorable 2-1 victory.

Following the final whistle, the talented forward shared her feelings about winning the competition and praised the technical crew for guiding the players through the difficult moments of the tournament.

Speaking to FIFA, Umejiaku explained that the journey was not an easy one but revealed that the instructions and encouragement from the coaches helped the team remain focused and overcome the challenges they encountered.

She expressed gratitude to God for the achievement and described the feeling of becoming world champions as a special moment for the entire squad.

Beyond helping Nigeria win the championship, Umejiaku also enjoyed an outstanding individual campaign. Her performances throughout the tournament earned her the prestigious Golden Ball award, which is presented to the best player of the competition.

The Flamingos star finished the tournament with four goals and two assists from seven appearances, demonstrating her importance to Nigeria's impressive campaign.

Her Golden Ball recognition further highlighted the quality of her performances, while her contribution in the final made her one of the standout players in Nigeria's historic victory.

Nigeria's triumph over Japan will remain an important moment in the history of the country's youth football, particularly because of the determination shown by the players after their disappointing opening result.

For Umejiaku and her teammates, the championship represents the reward for their hard work, commitment and belief throughout the competition, while the forward's comments have also highlighted the influence of the coaching staff in achieving the historic success.