Nigeria’s 16-year-old forward Queen Joseph has expressed her pride after helping the Flamingos make history by reaching their first-ever final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Joseph made the remarks following Nigeria’s impressive 3-1 victory over Brazil in the semi-finals of the ongoing 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Wednesday, November 4.
The young forward opened the scoring in the 56th minute to give Nigeria the lead before Awawu Bashiru scored twice in the 71st and 80th minutes to put the Flamingos firmly in control.
Brazil scored a late consolation goal through Greise Kelly in the 89th minute.
Speaking to FIFA after the historic victory, Joseph described reaching the final as a great privilege and dedicated the achievement to the entire African continent.
“I feel very happy. Playing in the final is a big privilege, representing my country in the final is a big privilege for me. I’m super-proud of myself and my team because we made history,” Joseph said with joy.
“We are not here just representing Nigeria, we are here representing Africa as a whole,” she added.
Born on November 24, 2009, Joseph is a product of Fosla Academy in Nigeria and has established herself as one of the promising young forwards in the Flamingos squad.
Her goal against Brazil proved crucial as Nigeria became the first African nation to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, giving the country an opportunity to compete for its first-ever title in the competition.
The Flamingos will now face Japan in the final as they seek to complete their historic campaign by becoming the first African team to win the tournament.
