Harmony Chidi will captain Nigeria’s Flamingos at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as the young forward prepares to return to the global stage with a bigger role in Akeem Busari’s squad.
Chidi is one of 21 players selected by Busari for the tournament in Morocco, where Nigeria will begin its Group B campaign against Poland on October 17. They will then face Puerto Rico on October 20 before taking on DPR Korea three days later.
The captain is not new to the World Cup stage. FIFA identified Chidi as Nigeria’s player to watch ahead of the tournament, noting that she scored for the Flamingos at the 2024 edition in the Dominican Republic when she was only 14.
Her form has also made her one of the keys attacking figures in the current Flamingos team. FIFA reports that Chidi scored five goals during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign before adding three more during the WAFU-B U17 Girls’ Cup in September.
That recent form will give Busari an important attacking option as Nigeria prepares for a difficult Group B, particularly with DPR Korea entering the tournament as the reigning champions.
The Flamingos secured their place in Morocco after defeating Benin 8-5 on aggregate in the final round of African qualifying.
They followed that achievement by winning the WAFU-B title, giving Busari and his players further competitive preparation before the World Cup.
Nigeria will now travel to Morocco with Chidi carrying both the captain’s armband and the expectations that come with being one of the team’s leading attacking players.
The Flamingos are scheduled to depart Nigeria on Wednesday, October 7, ahead of their opening match against Poland on October 17.
For Nigeria, the target will be to navigate Group B and continue the country’s strong record at the competition, where the Flamingos claimed a historic bronze medal in 2022.
