Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, saw their remarkable 11-match unbeaten streak come to a dramatic end following a 4–3 loss to New Zealand in a friendly match held in Casablanca, Morocco.

 

The match started brightly for the Flamingos as Queen Joseph opened the scoring in the 13th minute, capitalizing on a clever through ball that sliced through the New Zealand defense. The Kiwis quickly responded, leveling the score before halftime, but Nigeria regained the lead thanks to Shakirat Moshood’s superb long-range strike just before the break.

 

The second half turned into an exhilarating goal-fest. New Zealand’s Laura Bennett was the star of the show, netting a sensational hat-trick to put her team ahead. However, Nigeria’s Ayo showcased resilience with a fine effort to equalize at 3–3, keeping hopes alive. Ultimately, Candy Sienna’s decisive goal in the 80th minute secured a hard-fought victory for New Zealand.

 

This result ends the Flamingos’ impressive unbeaten run, during which they scored 47 goals and conceded just four across 11 matches. The team now prepares to face Paraguay in their final warm-up fixture before departing for Rabat to compete in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.