Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, endured a night to forget as they were handed a 4–1 defeat by Canada in their opening match of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on Sunday night. The match, held at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé, Morocco, marked Nigeria’s worst-ever opening day loss at the global competition.

Canada stunned the West African side just 70 seconds into the game when Gabriela Istocki pounced on a defensive error to put her team ahead. The early goal jolted the Flamingos into action, and under the direction of Coach Bankole Olowookere, they pressed forward with aggression and purpose.

Their persistence paid off in the 30th minute, when Queen Joseph equalized after capitalizing on a rebound from the Canadian goalkeeper, following a fierce shot by Olamide Olanrewaju. Nigeria looked dominant in the first half, amassing 13 shots and four corners, while Canada managed only two attempts. Yet, the Flamingos’ inability to convert their chances proved costly.

The second half told a different story. Canada regrouped and began to dominate midfield exchanges, exposing gaps in Nigeria’s defense. In the 73rd minute, Melisa Kekic restored Canada’s lead with a composed finish from the edge of the box. What followed was a defensive collapse, as Amireh struck twice in the 80th and 86th minutes, sealing a stunning victory for the Canadians.

The result not only ended Nigeria’s nine-year streak of avoiding defeat in World Cup openers, dating back to their 2016 loss to Brazil, but also gave Canada their first-ever win against the Flamingos at this level.

Across the continent, African teams struggled on opening weekend. Morocco fell 3–0 to Brazil, Cameroon narrowly lost 4–3 to the Netherlands, and Zambia were edged 2–1 by Paraguay. Only Ivory Coast managed a point, drawing 1–1 with South Korea.

With the loss, Nigeria sits bottom of Group D, behind Canada, France, and Samoa. The Flamingos will next face France on Wednesday, October 22, before wrapping up their group campaign against Samoa on Saturday, October 25 matches that could define their future in the tournament.