Africa will have just two representatives in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, with Ghana and Nigeria as the continent’s remaining contenders after the quarter-finals.
The Black Girls and Nigeria’s Flamingos secured places in the last eight after beating Africa’s Morocco and Kenya to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
Ghana qualified for the quarter-finals after a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout win over Argentina after a 1-1 draw.
Nigeria also secured qualification with a 2-1 win over Mexico, continuing their impressive campaign after recovering from a group stage defeat to Poland.
However, the trip ended for hosts Morocco who suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat to defending champions Korea DPR, while Kenya’s historic run was halted by Japan with a 3-1 win over the Junior Starlets.
The result leaves Ghana and Nigeria as the only African nations in the quarter-finals after a historic group stage campaign that saw four African teams reach the last 16 for the first time.
Quarter final matches
Ghana will face Japan in the quarter-finals on Sunday, November 1 at 3:00 PM Ghana time.
Nigeria will face Venezuela at 18:00, while reigning champions Korea DPR will take on the USA in another quarter-final encounter. Brazil will also compete with China for the last four.
The challenge for Ghana is to overcome Japan and get out of the quarter-finals, while Nigeria will look to maintain their momentum against Venezuela.
With the two African nations still in contention, the continent will look to the Black Girls and the Flamingos to push their challenge forward and keep their places secure in the semi-finals.