Flamingos’ World Cup Run Ends With Quarter-Final Loss To The USA.
Nigeria’s Flamingos were eliminated from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after a 2-0 quarter-final defeat to the United States on Saturday night in the Dominican Republic. The 2022 bronze medallists were hindered by early injuries to key players, disrupting Coach Bankole Olowookere’s game plan. Injuries saw forward Blessing Ifitezue and left-back Onyedikachi Ekezie forced off within the first half, while defender Jumai Adebayo also faced a brief injury scare.
The match began with promise for Nigeria, with Harmony Chidi coming close on two occasions from free kicks in the opening 30 minutes. However, the USA broke the deadlock just before halftime, with Fuller converting a penalty in the 43rd minute after a foul by Shakirat Moshood. Despite a defensive effort by Adebayo to prevent a second goal in first-half added time, the USA continued to apply pressure.
In the second half, Nigeria’s Captain Taiwo Afolabi created an opportunity in the 64th minute, but her shot was saved. The USA extended their lead in the 74th minute when Kim Ascanio capitalised on a through ball, slotting it past Nigeria’s goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma. With this result, Nigeria’s journey in the tournament came to an end, marking a challenging night for the Flamingos after their strong campaign.
