The Flamingos made history on Saturday, defeating Japan 2-1 in the final to become the first African nation to win the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.

Bonface Osano, Marabou News Agency

Nigeria’s newly crowned world champions, the Flamingos returned to Abuja to a heroes’ welcome following their historic triumph at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The team arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the early hours of Monday, where officials from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and supporters gathered to receive the players and members of the technical bench.

The Flamingos made history on Saturday, defeating Japan 2-1 in the final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to become the first African nation to win the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.

Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled Nigeria’s advantage two minutes into the second half. Japan pulled one back through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute, but the Flamingos held firm to secure the historic victory.

For captain Harmony Chidi, returning home with the trophy was a moment of immense pride after a campaign that tested the team’s resilience.

“It is a thing of honour, it’s a thing to be happy about and I thank my teammates, the coaching staff, everybody that was praying for us and the hard work. I think it really paid off for us. So, we are so happy that at least we came back with the trophy for the first time.”

Chidi also recalled the emotions surrounding their final victory, describing the moment as unforgettable.

“You know this celebration that God, is this you, are we having the trophy? So, it was something that can never be forgotten in life.”

Nigeria’s road to the title was far from straightforward. The Flamingos began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland but recovered with victories over Puerto Rico and defending champions North Korea before navigating the knockout stages.

The captain believes that opening setback became a turning point in the team’s campaign.

“It was the first game. I think it was the game that gave us morale that the World Cup that we came for is not child’s play. It’s something that we have to work extra hard. If before you were putting in 100%, you have to double it to 200% for us to get the result. We talked to ourselves to make sure that everybody is at peace and we work together and it really came true for us.”

Head coach Akeem Busari also acknowledged the challenges the team faced, praising his players for their response after the difficult start.

“It was not an easy task but nevertheless we just had to really come out of our shell to really play. We needed the trophy; we had to go for it. Our first game was so rough but eventually we ran from the storm and equally we were able to come out of it and get better.”

The celebrations are also a recognition of individual excellence, with Umejiaku claiming the tournament’s Golden Ball award.

For Nigeria, the homecoming marks the beginning of celebrations for a team that has not only delivered the country’s first FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup title but also made history as the first African champions of the competition.

Editor: George Mutero

Marabou News Agency

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During a Special General Meeting held over the weekend, 66 out of 65 national executive members voted in favour of the ouster of MacDonald Mariga – a former Kenyan international from the position of vice president of
Kenya’s football governing body.

Oliver Ochieng, Marabou News Agency

Former Kenyan international MacDonald Wanyama Mariga is no longer the Kenya Football Federation (FKF) Vice President.

Mariga, the only East African to ever win the UEFA Champions League – a feat achieved while playing for Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in 2010 was expelled from the federation alongside six other National Executive Committee (NEC) members, during a Special General Meeting held in Meru on Saturday, November 07, 2026.

Robert Macharia, Bernard Korir, Violet Kerubo, Collins Opiyo, Gabriel Mghendi and Daniel Shikanda are the other affected officials.

The seven were accused of passing a resolution to remove FKF President Hussein Mohamed from office in April, repeated failure to attend duly convened NEC meetings, unauthorized communication on behalf of FKF and actions considered contrary to the FKF constitution.

Trouble started when Mariga arrived at the venue in the company of a platoon of Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) officers who reportedly lobbed teargas, disrupting the meeting that was going on in a hotel hall.

The officers later left the venue allowing the meeting attended by CAF and FIFA observers, and Kenya’s acting sports registrar to proceed peacefully as the axe fell on Mariga and six other NEC members.

66 out of 65 NEC members present voted in favour of the expulsion, with only Bonface Ambani, another former Kenyan international, voting against the move.

Speaking after the meeting, Mohamed who was elected alongside Mariga in December 2024 for a four-year term, urged stakeholders to unite toward growing football in the country, now that neighbours Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are preparing to host the 2027 AFCON tournament under the Pamoja bid.

“The principal objective of FKF is to improve the game of football constantly and promote, regulate and control it through the territory of the republic of Kenya and in the spirit of fair play and its unifying educational, cultural and humanitarian values particularly through youth development programmes,” said the FKF president.

The ousted officials led by Mariga and Shikanda dismissed their expulsion terming it illegal, claiming that genuine delegates were locked out of the meeting.

They are yet to state their next course of action but a legal action is expected in the coming days.

Marabou News Agency

Editor: George Mutero

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The inaugural festival delivered on its promise of giving young footballers from across the world an opportunity to compete and develop.

Bonface Osano, Marabou News Agency

Africa’s next generation of football talent made a strong statement on the global stage, with Guinea and Ghana breaking into the world’s top seven as Kenya capped an encouraging campaign at the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The week-long competition, brought together 189 national teams from October 24 to 30, introduced an innovative development model aimed at giving young players exposure to international football.

Played in an eight-a-side format, the tournament featured multiple performance tiers, ensuring teams continued competing until the final day rather than being eliminated after early defeats.

African teams accounted for 52 of the participating nations, according to FIFA, with several enjoying impressive campaigns.

Guinea emerged as Africa’s highest-placed representative, finishing sixth in the elite Tier A competition, while Ghana’s Black Comets secured seventh place after an impressive attacking display.

The Ghanaians scored 44 goals in ten matches, winning eight encounters. They concluded their campaign in style with a commanding 4-0 victory over Colombia, recovering from a heavy defeat to Brazil in the fifth-to-eighth-place classification matches.

Morocco and Egypt also made the top 15, finishing 13th and 14th respectively, while Cameroon placed 23rd.

Zambia provided one of Africa’s biggest highlights, defeating European heavyweights Portugal 5-2 in the Tier B final to claim the divisional title. The Central African Republic also celebrated silverware, beating Bangladesh 4-1 to win Tier E. Tunisia and Ethiopia were among the other African finalists.

Kenya’s young charges, meanwhile, finished 26th among the 189 participating nations, emerging as the highest-ranked team from the CECAFA region, with the team being treated to a grand reception upon their return.

The Patrick Nyale-coached side went unbeaten in the group stage, topping Group Z before progressing to the elite Tier A classification rounds.

Kenya recorded five victories, two draws and three defeats in ten matches, scoring 27 goals. Captain Innocent Media led the attack with nine goals, establishing himself as one of the team’s standout performers.

Despite losing their final classification match 3-1 to South Korea, the Kenyan youngsters return with valuable international experience and a strong foundation for future development.

Spain claimed the Tier A title, beating Czechia 3-0 in the final, as the inaugural festival delivered on its promise of giving young footballers from across the world an opportunity to compete and develop.

Marabou News Agency

Editor: George Mutero

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