Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team are facing a must-win showdown against Samoa after falling 1–0 to France in their second Group D fixture at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat on Wednesday night.
Bankole Olowookere’s side produced a much-improved performance compared to their 4–1 defeat to Canada in the opener, showing greater discipline and energy throughout the contest.
But a late strike from Maïssa Fathallah in the 81st minute punished a rare lapse, as goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface failed to deal with a rebound inside the box.
The Flamingos started the game with intent, pressing high and creating half-chances through sustained attacking play, yet they lacked the finishing touch to make their dominance count.
France held firm, with Nigeria-eligible forward Rachael Adedini—who plays for Manchester City—featuring for the Europeans before being substituted at halftime.
Despite their progress in performance, Nigeria remain bottom of Group D with no points from two matches.
They now face a do-or-die clash against Samoa on Saturday, October 25, needing victory to keep their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage alive as one of the best third-placed teams.
