Flamingos Depart for Lomé Ahead of Crucial Benin Clash

Nigeria's U-17 women's national team, the Flamingos, are set to travel to Lomé, Togo, as they continue their quest for a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

The team is expected to leave Lagos after regrouping from their training base in Ikenne, with players and officials making the journey to Togo ahead of Saturday's decisive second-leg qualifier against Benin Republic.

Nigeria heads into the encounter with a slight advantage after recording a hard-fought 3-2 victory in the first leg played at the Remo Stars Sports Complex.

That result gives the Flamingos confidence, but the coaching crew will be aware that the tie remains finely balanced.

The return fixture at Stade de Kégué is expected to be fiercely contested, with Benin hoping to overturn the deficit and secure a historic qualification.

The Young Amazons are aiming to reach the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup for the first time in their history.

For Nigeria, the objective is to continue their impressive record in the competition by securing a ninth appearance at the global tournament.

The Flamingos have consistently been among Africa's strongest teams at this level and will be looking to maintain that reputation.

The technical crew is expected to rely on the squad's attacking quality while tightening up defensively after conceding twice in the first meeting. A disciplined performance away from home could be enough to see the Nigerians progress.

Victory over the two-legged contest will book a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, where the Flamingos hope to challenge for honours once again and continue their tradition of representing the continent on the world stage.