Flamingos’ World Cup Triumph: Fatodu Celebrates Lagos-Bred Players, Says State Proud of Young Champions
Flamingos’ World Cup Triumph: Fatodu Celebrates Lagos-Bred Players, Says State Proud of Young Champions
The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Hon. Lekan Fatodu, has celebrated the contributions of players associated with Lagos State to Nigeria’s historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Fatodu said Lagos had reasons to celebrate the achievement, noting that several promising young footballers connected to the state’s football development structures were part of the Flamingos squad that defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final.
In a message to Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the sports commission boss drew attention to the participation of young players he described as children of Lagos, who were making the country proud on the international stage.
According to him, he had sent the governor a photograph of the victorious Nigerian team, accompanied by a message highlighting the contribution of players from Team Lagos to the country’s success.
“I just sent this picture to Mr Governor, telling Oga that some of his children from Team Lagos are doing Nigeria proud in far away Morocco,” Fatodu said.
He expressed excitement over the team’s performance, describing the young footballers as promising talents who had demonstrated exceptional skills and determination throughout the competition.
The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in the final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to win their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.
Awawu Bashiru gave Nigeria the lead in the 39th minute with a long-range effort before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the advantage in the 47th minute.
Japan reduced the deficit through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian girls held on to secure a historic victory.
The triumph made Nigeria the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, adding another landmark achievement to the country’s football history.
An examination of the Nigeria Football Federation’s 21-player squad list shows that five players were registered with Lagos-based Robo Queens, while another was listed with Dreamstar Ladies. However, club affiliation should not be confused with a player’s state of origin or place of development.
Fatodu’s comments have nevertheless brought renewed attention to the contribution of grassroots football development in Lagos and the importance of creating opportunities for young female footballers to progress from local competitions to international stages.
The achievement also provides an opportunity to assess the impact of investment in youth sports, talent identification, coaching and football development programmes across the state.
For Lagos, the Flamingos’ success represents more than a national football victory. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the young talents emerging from its football ecosystem and encourage greater investment in women’s football.
Nigeria’s historic victory over Japan has brought international recognition to the country and demonstrated the potential of its emerging generation of female footballers.
