Nigeria U-17 and U-20 international Precious Oscar has appealed to Nigerians to keep the Flamingos in their prayers as the team seeks an immediate response to its 2-1 defeat to Poland in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Oscar made the appeal in an interview with NFF Media before Saturday’s Group B encounter, expressing confidence in the team’s determination to make the country proud despite the formidable opposition awaiting them in the tournament.
“Please, don’t forget to keep praying for us. Nigerians supporting us should back us up in prayers. By the end, God will take all the glory,” Oscar said.
The youngster, who has represented Nigeria at both U-17 and U-20 levels, described wearing the national team jersey as a dream come true and promised to give her best throughout the competition.
“Putting on the Nigerian national team jersey means a whole lot to me. It is like a dream come true because, growing up and dreaming of becoming a footballer, this has been part of my dreams,” she said.
“Playing in the two categories, the U-20 and the U-17, means a whole lot to me. I am so proud of who I am becoming, and I assure Nigerians that I am going to give my best and make the country proud.”
Oscar confident despite daunting Group B challenge
Ahead of the tournament, Oscar acknowledged the difficulty of Nigeria’s Group B assignment, particularly the prospect of facing four-time champions Korea DPR, but insisted that the Flamingos would approach every fixture with the right preparation and mentality.
“Every game comes with a different game plan. When we play Poland, we get ready for the next game,” she explained.
“Playing against the defending champions is going to be a game everybody would love to watch because we are going to give our best, knowing fully well that we are playing against the defending champions.”
Korea DPR, who defeated the Netherlands to win the 2025 edition, enter the competition as the reigning champions and one of the most successful nations in the tournament’s history.
Nigeria’s other Group B opponents are Poland and Puerto Rico, with the latter making its debut at the global competition.
Poland punish Nigeria’s defensive errors
The Flamingos began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat on Saturday, leaving them with work to do in their remaining group fixtures.
After a relatively balanced opening period, Poland took the lead in the 33rd minute when Wiktoria Skrzypczak converted a penalty following a Video Support review.
Nigeria went into the break trailing by a goal and faced a more difficult task after the restart when Natalia Skrok doubled Poland’s advantage in the 65th minute, capitalising on a defensive clearance that failed to deal with the danger.
Head coach Akeem Busari responded with substitutions in an attempt to revive Nigeria’s challenge.
The changes brought an immediate impact as Kanyinsola Yusuf pulled one back in the 79th minute, giving the Flamingos renewed hope of rescuing a point.
Nigeria pushed for an equaliser and appealed for a late penalty following an incident involving Kemi Adegbuyi, but the referee maintained her decision after another review.
Poland held on to secure a 2-1 victory, leaving Nigeria without a point after the opening round of Group B matches.
Oscar was among the substitutes introduced during the second half as Nigeria attempted to turn the contest around.
WAFU-B success offers hope of recovery
Despite the disappointing start, the Flamingos can draw confidence from their recent performances in West Africa.
Nigeria qualified for the World Cup after defeating Benin 8-5 on aggregate in the final round of African qualifying. The team subsequently won the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in September, recording five victories from five matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding only twice.
Captain Harmony Chidi was among the standout performers during the qualifying campaign and the regional tournament, reinforcing expectations that Nigeria could compete strongly in Morocco.
Oscar believes the determination displayed during those competitions can help the team overcome its opening setback.
“We showed ourselves in the WAFU-B, which everyone saw. That same spirit, we are bringing to this U-17 World Cup in Morocco,” she said.
“We are going to give our best. We will come all out to play against whoever we meet, and I know God backs us up.”
Flamingos face crucial fixtures against Puerto Rico and Korea DPR
Nigeria must now regroup ahead of Tuesday’s encounter against Puerto Rico, which could prove crucial to its hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
The Flamingos will then face Korea DPR on Friday, October 23, in their final Group B fixture.
The tournament, which runs from October 17 to November 7, is the 10th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the second to feature 24 teams following the expansion from 16 participants in 2025.
The competition is being staged in Morocco for the second consecutive year, with six groups of four teams competing for places in the Round of 16. The top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed sides will advance.
Nigeria’s best performance at the tournament remains a third-place finish in 2022, when the Flamingos defeated Germany on penalties after losing their semi-final against Colombia.
With two group matches remaining, Nigeria still has an opportunity to revive its campaign. However, a positive result against Puerto Rico will be essential to easing the pressure ahead of the potentially decisive encounter with the defending champions.
For Oscar and her teammates, the immediate task is to turn the determination expressed before the tournament into results on the pitch, with the midfielder’s appeal underscoring the importance of national support as the Flamingos fight to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
