Nigeria’s Flamingos maintained their perfect start to the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup after securing a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Burkina Faso on Monday in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.

Unlike their opening two matches, the Flamingos were made to work for the victory as a disciplined Burkina Faso side defended resolutely and limited Nigeria’s opportunities in the final third.

Nigeria entered the encounter on the back of impressive victories over Niger Republic and Ghana, having scored nine goals in their opening two matches.  

The Flamingos dominated possession for long periods in the first half and repeatedly attempted to break through Burkina Faso’s compact defensive structure, but the West Africans held firm.

Despite Nigeria’s territorial advantage, the breakthrough remained elusive as both teams went into the interval level at 0-0.  

Nigeria continued to press after the restart, with the Flamingos maintaining their attacking approach while Burkina Faso remained organised and determined to frustrate their opponents.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 82nd minute when Mary Dunstan found the back of the net to give Nigeria a deserved 1-0 lead.  

Burkina Faso responded by pushing forward in search of an equaliser, but Nigeria remained composed and continued to threaten on the counter as the match entered its closing stages.

The Flamingos eventually put the result beyond doubt in the third minute of added time when Kemi Adegbuyi doubled Nigeria’s advantage.

Adegbuyi showed excellent composure, latching onto a through pass, rounding the goalkeeper before calmly slotting the ball into an empty net for Nigeria’s second goal.  

The victory gives Nigeria three wins from three matches and keeps the Flamingos’ perfect record intact as they continue their campaign in the regional championship.  

The result also underlines the team’s ability to find solutions in difficult matches after the Flamingos had previously demonstrated their attacking strength with nine goals against Niger Republic and Ghana.

The WAFU-B tournament is also an important preparation platform for Nigeria ahead of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, giving coach Akeem Busari an opportunity to assess his players against different styles and levels of opposition.  

With three victories already secured, the Flamingos will now turn their attention to their remaining fixtures as they continue their pursuit of regional honours and further preparation for the global championship.