Sports

Sports Minister Congratulates Flamingos, Olympic Eagles on Weekend of Sporting Success

Published

4 years ago

October 31, 2022

The Sports Minister Sunday Dare has congratulated both the Nigeria U17 Women’s football team, the Flamingos and the Olympic Eagles on their successes over the weekend.

On Sunday, the Flamingos became the first African team to finish on the podium in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup after beating Germany through penalties to pick the bronze medal while the Olympic Eagles beat Tanzania 3-1 on aggregate in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday, to qualify for the next round of the CAF U23 AFCON qualifiers.

According to the Sports Minister, “the victories are heartwarming for Nigeria and worth celebrating.

“I commend the coaches and the players of both teams for giving us their best performances as well as congratulate the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) for these successes.”

The Olympic Eagles will face either Uganda or Guinea in the final round of the U23 AFCON qualifiers while football followers will hope to see a good number of the Flamingos grow through the ranks into the U20 team, Falconets and the senior team, the Falcons in a few years.

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Sports

Flamingos’ Historic World Cup Feat Draws Musawa’s Commendation

Published

10 hours ago

November 8, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to claim Nigeria’s first title in the competition and make history as the first African nation to win the tournament.

Awawu Bashiru gave Nigeria the lead in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku extended the advantage two minutes after the restart. Japan’s Fuki Ito reduced the deficit in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian girls held on to secure a memorable victory.

In a congratulatory message was signed by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Nneka Ikem Anibeze on Sunday in Abuja, Musawa described the achievement as a defining moment for Nigeria and a significant milestone for African women’s football, attributing the success to the team’s resilience, talent and determination.

“This is more than a trophy. It is a story of young Nigerian girls who refused to give up, who rose after defeat, and who carried the hopes of a continent to the top of the world,” she said.

The Minister noted that the Flamingos had broken new ground by becoming the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria also became the first African country to win both the men’s and women’s U-17 World Cup titles.

The team further achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the first side in the competition’s history to lose its opening match and eventually emerge champions.

Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group-stage encounter, the Flamingos recovered impressively, recording six consecutive victories to lift the trophy.

Musawa particularly praised Umejiaku, who claimed the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the best player, and Bashiru for their crucial contributions in the final.

She also commended the entire squad for their discipline, teamwork and determination throughout the competition.

According to her, the victory demonstrates the creativity, courage and excellence of Nigerian youths on the global stage.

The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to celebrating and promoting the achievements and inspiring stories of young Nigerians who continue to bring honour to the country.

“Our girls have shown the world what Nigeria is made of. We celebrate you today, and we will continue to stand with you,” she added.

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