Nigeria, Oct. 19 -- The wait is finally over as Nigeria's Flamingos begin their quest for global glory on Sunday evening when they take on Canada in their opening Group D match of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Sale, Morocco.

For the first time, the world's biggest women's youth football tournament lands on African soil, and for a nation that has carried the flag for the continent in almost every edition, this feels like a homecoming of destiny.

This is Nigeria's eighth appearance at the tournament since its inception in 2008. Over the years, the Flamingos have earned a reputation as Africa's most consistent U-17 side; resilient, technical, and unrelenting. They have reached the semi-finals t...