Nigeria’s Flamingos will begin their 2026 WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup campaign against Niger Republic on Wednesday as preparations intensify for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Group B encounter is scheduled for 3:00pm Nigerian time at Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, with Nigeria entering the regional tournament as part of its build-up towards the global championship in October.  

Nigeria were initially expected to open their campaign against Ghana, but the withdrawal of Benin Republic forced a revision of the tournament schedule. Niger will now provide the opposition in the Flamingos’ opening fixture, while the much-anticipated meeting with Ghana has been moved to Saturday.  

The tournament represents an important competitive test for coach Hakeem Busari and his players ahead of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to take place in Morocco from October 17 to November 8.

Nigeria have been drawn in Group B of the World Cup alongside North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland, while Ghana will face Canada, Brazil and Norway in Group C. Kenya and Zambia are the other African representatives at the tournament.  

The Flamingos arrived in Yamoussoukro on Monday and have continued preparations for the competition, with Busari selecting a 20-player squad for the WAFU-B assignment.

The squad includes goalkeeper Onyinyechi Opara, defenders Opeyemi Sunday, Azeezat Oduntan, Esther Stephen, Elizabeth Adesuyi and Chidera Oparanmegwa, while midfield options include Muinat Rotimi, Mary Dunstan, Adeola Bashiru, Kaosarat Akanji and Ebunoluwa Akinola.  

In attack, Busari has selected Harmony Chidi, Oluebube Umejiaku, Sakirat Sarafa, Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Destiny Itobore. Adegbuyi was part of the Edo Queens side that won the 2026 WAFU-B CAF Women’s Champions League qualifying tournament and was named MVP of the competition.  

The Flamingos will need to negotiate a compact Group B schedule, with Niger followed by a meeting with Ghana on Saturday. Other group fixtures include Togo against Niger and Burkina Faso against hosts Côte d’Ivoire.  

For Nigeria, the immediate objective is to use the tournament to give the squad competitive exposure, assess combinations and sharpen preparations before the much bigger challenge of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.

The Nigeria vs Niger WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup encounter will kick off at 3:00pm WAT on Wednesday, September 16, in Yamoussoukro. The match is expected to be streamed live on the Zone Quest B official page, according to the published preview.  

With the World Cup only weeks away, the Flamingos will be looking to make the most of their time in Côte d’Ivoire as Busari continues to build a squad capable of competing strongly on the continental and global stages.