Nigeria’s Onyinyechi Opara has been named the Best Goalkeeper of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U17 Girls Cup following an outstanding campaign with the Flamingos.
Opara played a key role in Nigeria’s successful title-winning campaign, helping the team maintain a perfect record throughout the competition. The Nigerian shot-stopper conceded just two goals across the tournament, underlining her consistency and reliability between the posts.
Her performances provided a strong foundation for Nigeria’s defensive unit as the Flamingos won all five of their matches to finish the competition with a maximum 15 points. Nigeria also scored 17 goals during their flawless campaign to secure the title in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
Opara’s recognition as the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper adds an individual honour to an impressive team campaign and highlights the quality of goalkeeping talent emerging from Nigeria’s youth development system.
The award also underlines the developmental value of the WAFU Zone B U17 Girls Cup, which provides young players with the opportunity to compete at international level and gain valuable experience in a competitive environment.
With the tournament bringing together young talents from across the WAFU Zone B region, individual performances such as Opara’s further demonstrate the importance of providing regular competitive opportunities as the Zone continues to strengthen the pathway for the development of women’s football.
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