Nigeria’s Flamingos Secure Quarterfinal Spot With A Late Victory Over Dominican Republic.
Nigeria’s Flamingos advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with a 1-0 win over hosts Dominican Republic at the Estadio Felix Sanchez, Santo Domingo. A stunning long-range strike from Shakirat Moshood in the 89th minute sealed the victory, allowing Nigeria to finish the group stage with a perfect record.
Moshood’s goal, her fourth of the tournament, came after an assist from Opeyemi Abdulwahab, who had also scored in Nigeria’s earlier 4-0 win over New Zealand. The Flamingos dominated the game, recording an astonishing 41 shots, 13 of which were on target, compared to just 3 attempts from the Dominican side. Nigeria also controlled possession, with 73% of the ball and 17 corner kicks, while the hosts struggled to create any significant chances.
Nigeria’s head coach, Bankole Olowookere, initially rotated his squad, resting key players such as Chidi Harmony and Effiong Peace. However, the desire to secure a full 9 points prompted him to introduce Harmony and Peace in the 64th minute, which helped Nigeria maintain their dominance and secure the win.
Elsewhere in Group A, Ecuador thrashed New Zealand 4-0 to claim the second spot in the group. Goals from Arboleda Ortiz, Caprice Chiuchiolo, and Moran Gurumendi ensured Ecuador’s progression to the quarterfinals, where they will face Spain.
At the conclusion of the group stage, Nigeria topped Group A with 9 points, scoring 9 goals and conceding just 1. Ecuador followed with 6 points, while the Dominican Republic and New Zealand finished with 1 point each, exiting the tournament.
Nigeria will now face the USA in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 8:30 pm at Santiago de los Caballeros, the venue of their earlier group matches. Ecuador will take on Spain in the third quarterfinal on Sunday.
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s matches, Group D will see Japan take on Brazil, while North Korea faces Kenya. Later, in Group C, Zambia will battle Poland, and England will play Mexico to conclude the group stage.
Nigeria will be hoping to build on their strong performances and improve on their 2022 bronze medal finish, when they triumphed over Germany in a thrilling penalty shootout.
