Puerto Rico U-17 women’s head coach, Andres Mirabelli has expressed disappointment with his team’s performance following their 2-0 defeat to Nigeria at the ongoing 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat on Tuesday night.
The North Americans suffered their second consecutive loss in the tournament after opening their campaign with a 6-0 defeat to defending champions, DPR Korea.
Goals from Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Precious Oscar secured victory for Nigeria’s Flamingos in a keenly contested Group B encounter.
Mirabelli admitted that his side’s slow start proved costly, lamenting their inability to cope with the pressure and quality of their opponents.
“I’m not happy with how we played in the first half. Once again, we wasted time just like in the last match. It's a shame because the pressure of the World Cup and the difference in level are hurting us,” he told FIFA.
The result leaves Puerto Rico bottom of Group B with no points from their opening two matches, having conceded eight goals without scoring.
Mirabelli’s side will look to end their group-stage campaign on a positive note when they face Poland in their final fixture on Friday night.
2026 U-17 WWC: Puerto Rico coach disappointed after defeat to Flamingos