The Flamingos’ Golden Lesson

On Saturday night at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, a team of teenage girls did what no African side had done before them. Nigeria’s Flamingos beat Japan 2-1 to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, becoming the first team from the continent to lift the trophy. Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring with a long-range strike in the 39th minute, and Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the lead two minutes after the restart. Japan pulled one back in the 80th minute, but the girls held their nerve to the final whistle. We join millions of Nigerians in congratulating them, their coaches and their families on a historic achievement.
The scale of the feat is clearer when one considers the ...