Samuel Ahmadu in Morocco

Nigeria forward Queen Joseph says the Flamingos drew inspiration from Argentina’s remarkable recovery at the 2022 FIFA World Cup as they fought their way into the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Joseph scored Nigeria’s opening goal in their impressive 3-1 semi-final victory over Brazil, helping the Flamingos make history by reaching the final of the competition for the first time.

The Nigerian teenager, who currently plays for non-league Abuja based team, Folsa Academy, revealed that the team looked back to Argentina’s 2022 World Cup campaign after suffering defeat in their opening match of the tournament.

“We took the Argentina spirit from the [2022] World Cup after losing our first game,” Joseph said after the match.

Argentina famously lost their opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Saudi Arabia before recovering to win the tournament in Qatar.

Joseph said the Flamingos drew confidence from that story and are now hoping to complete their own remarkable journey by lifting the world title.

“They came back and won the trophy, so we are hoping to God Almighty that we are going to win the trophy,” she added.

The victory over Brazil sent Nigeria into the final, where they will have the opportunity to claim their first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

For Joseph, the achievement carries enormous personal significance after helping the team overcome Brazil in the semi-final.

“I feel very happy. Playing in the final is a big privilege. Representing my country in the final is a big privilege for me,” she said.

“I’m super-proud of myself and my team because we made history.”

Joseph also stressed that the Flamingos view their historic run as more than a Nigerian achievement, insisting that the team is carrying the hopes of the continent.

“We are not here just representing Nigeria, we are here representing Africa as a whole,” she said.

Nigeria’s journey to the final has been remarkable as the Flamingos lost 2-1 to Poland in their opening group match but responded with victories over Puerto Rico, defending champions Korea DPR, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil.

Their 3-1 victory over Brazil secured Nigeria’s first-ever appearance in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final and guaranteed the country at least a silver medal.

With Japan ahead, the Flamingos will now turn their attention to the final, where they will seek to complete their historic campaign by bringing the world title to Nigeria and Africa.