U-17 Women's World Cup: Morocco and Nigeria play for their spot in the round of 16 on October 23

Morocco and Nigeria will play their third and final group match of the U-17 Women's World Cup, hosted in Morocco, on Friday, October 23, 2026. Both teams are playing for their qualification to the round of 16. Five African nations are participating in the tournament: Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia.

A draw is enough for the Lionesses

The Moroccans started their tournament with a 4-0 victory against New Zealand, before falling 2-4 to Germany on October 20, 2026, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat. Nesma Mouradi scored a brace, in the 64th minute and then on a penalty in stoppage time (90+5), reports Le Matin.

Group A is tight: Germany has 6 points, Morocco has 3 with a goal difference of +2, Argentina has 3 with +1, and New Zealand has 0. Morocco faces Argentina at 6 p.m. at the Mohammed VI Complex: a draw or a win is enough for them to advance without depending on the ranking of the best third-placed teams, according to Le Matin.

Nigeria holds its destiny in its own hands

Beaten 2-1 by Poland in their opening match, the Flamingos got back on track by dominating Puerto Rico 2-0 on October 20, 2026, in Rabat, thanks to Oluwakemi Adegbuyi (25th) and Precious Oscar, who came off the bench to score in the 90th minute, according to the Nigerian daily Blueprint. In the other group match, North Korea crushed Poland 6-1, a result that the newspaper presents as an advantage for Nigeria, who will face the North Koreans on October 23.

Ghana, Zambia, Kenya: three different situations

Ghana snatched their first point on October 21, 2026, by holding Brazil to a 3-3 draw, with goals from Rafia Osman (31st), Gloria Ameaa (35th), and Priscilla Mensah (85th). On the same day, Zambia lost 3-2 to Venezuela, despite goals from Elizabeth Mofya (4th) and Grace Phiri (54th), reports the APA agency.

Kenya, meanwhile, is on the verge of elimination: beaten 3-0 by China and then 6-1 by the United States on October 22, 2026, in Salé, the Junior Starlets remain at 0 points while the Americans and the Chinese have six. The Kenyan media outlet Pulse Sports considers them practically eliminated before their last match, scheduled for October 25 against Samoa.

Sixteen spots for twenty-four teams

The top two from each of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams advance to the round of 16, totaling sixteen qualifiers, reminds Afrik-Foot. For Morocco, the host of the competition, the stakes go beyond the pitch: the kingdom has been organizing major African and global football events for three years, and its young women's team is playing in front of its home crowd.