The Flamingos' historic run to the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup final has earned Nigeria recognition from the Confederation of African Football, with its president, Patrice Motsepe, describing the achievement as a source of pride for the continent.
Motsepe congratulated the Nigerian team after their 3-1 victory over Brazil in Wednesday's semi-final in Morocco, which secured their first-ever appearance in the final of the competition.
The victory also made Nigeria the first African country to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup since the tournament began.
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In a statement on Thursday, CAF said Motsepe described the Flamingos' achievement as a historic milestone that had made Africa and the continental football governing body proud.
The CAF president also confirmed plans to travel to Rabat, Morocco, to watch Nigeria take on Japan in Saturday's final.
The encounter is scheduled for 6.30pm local time (5.30pm Nigerian time).
Nigeria's qualification represents a major breakthrough for African women's youth football, with the continent previously limited to third-place finishes in the tournament.
Ghana finished third in 2012, while Nigeria claimed the bronze medal in 2022 after defeating Germany in the third-place play-off.
The Flamingos will now seek to become the first African team to win the competition when they face Japan in the final.
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