Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have been handed a testing but tantalizing draw for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Drawn into Group D, Nigeria will face France, Canada, and Samoa in a tournament that kicks off October 17 in Rabat, Morocco.
The official draw ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Rabat.
This is the first-ever edition of the tournament on African soil.
The 2025 edition will also break new ground as the first to feature 24 teams, expanding the global reach and competition level of the cadet tournament.
Group D: A Mixture of Firepower, Familiarity, and Newcomers
Nigeria’s group offers a blend of heavyweights and debutants:
France – Consistently strong at all youth levels and always a threat, Les Bleuettes bring technical quality and tournament experience.
Canada – A solid North American side with strong athleticism.
Samoa – Making their debut at this level, they are the group’s dark horse but could spring surprises.
The Flamingos will be making their eighth appearance at the competition and remain one of the most consistent African sides in youth women’s football.
Having finished third in 2022, expectations are high for Nigeria to at least match or surpass that performance.
Host Nation, Defending Champs, and Global Giants Fill Other Groups
Elsewhere, the draw revealed a tournament packed with pedigree and excitement:
Group A: Hosts Morocco face Brazil, Italy, and Costa Rica
Group B: Defending champions Korea DPR square off against Mexico, Cameroon, and the Netherlands
Group C: USA, Ecuador, China, and Norway go head-to-head
Group E: Spain, Colombia, Korea Republic, and Ivory Coast
Group F: Japan—top scorers in tournament history—meet New Zealand, Zambia, and Paraguay
Tournament Structure and African Milestone
The expanded 24-team format means that the top two teams in each of the six groups, along with the four best third-placed teams, will qualify for the round of 16.
This year’s edition is also the beginning of a new era: Morocco will host the U-17 Women’s World Cup annually until 2029. Let the road to Rabat 2025 begin.
