Benin Coach Seeks Upset Over Flamingos in U-17 World Cup Qualifiers

Benin U‑17 women’s head coach Idah Azonsou maintains that his team can earn a spot at the 2026 FIFA U‑17 Women’s World Cup by defeating Nigeria’s Flamingos.

The Young Amazons will contest Nigeria for a place in the annual tournament next month.

Azonsou’s squad began training for the decisive match at the Missérété Excellence Centre on Monday.

They will continue their preparation in Lomé this weekend.

The coach believes the Flamingos are the favourites to advance but is confident his side can cause an upset.

“We know that Nigeria is a major force in women’s football and consistently performs at this level. That is why we are working hard to face them and, hopefully, secure a historic qualification for the U‑17 World Cup,” Azonsou said.

Nigeria will host the first leg at the Remo Stars Sports Complex on Saturday, 4 July, while the reverse fixture will take place one week later in Kegue.