The Nigerian Flamingoes continued their winning streak late Tuesday in their Group A third match against hosts the Dominican Republic in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Having previously crushed New Zealand 4-0 and Ecuador 4-1, the Dominican girls fell to the Flamingoes’ superior tactical quality.
How The Match Unfolded
In Tuesday’s clash with the Dominicans, the Flamingos thought they had taken the lead in the 15th minute; Moshood’s attempt was ruled offside by the Video Assistant Referee before team captain Taiwo Afolabi struck to force the Dominican goalkeeper into a save.
In the 28th minute, Flamingos captain Taiwo Afolabi fired from distance, forcing another save from the Dominican keeper.
With 10 minutes left in the first half, the Dominican Republic went close to scoring following a defensive mix-up by the Flamingos, but the effort was thwarted.
After half-time, the Flamingos kept putting pressure on their opponents. In the 89th minute, Midfielder Shakirat Moshood collected the ball from 25 yards and launched a powerful left-footed strike at goal, which went past the Dominican goalkeeper.
The late strike from Shakirat Moshood earned the Flamingos the 1-0 win and three points after the Dominicans proved difficult for most of the game.
Moshood’s goal against the Dominican Republic means she now has four goals.
The Flamingos have been in blistering form in the tournament, winning all three group games with nine goals, conceding just one, and earning the maximum nine points.
Coach Bankole Olowoookere expressed confidence that the girls would make Nigeria proud at the tourney, saying, “I will not change our messages to Nigerians but to thank and appreciate them for their support. They should keep supporting us, and having kept these vigils; I know it will not go in vain,” she promised.
“Anytime they watch us, we will give them joy and make them proud. We made this promise to them before we left Nigeria, and we are fulfilling the promise to them so they will be proud of us.”
Nigeria’s game with the Dominican girls drew the largest crowd of the tournament—a record 13,535 spectators—perhaps in part because it was the host team’s last chance to redeem itself.
What’s Next
Nonetheless, the Flamingos must not rest on their oars as they confront the agile United States side in the quarterfinal on Saturday, October 26.
The Americans placed second in Group B behind Spain after securing two wins and one defeat. In their opening group game, they lost 3-1 to Spain before rebounding by defeating Colombia 2-0 and finishing off South Korea 5-0.
However, it should be comforting to remember that at the 2022 U-17 Women’s World Cup in India, the Flamingos defeated the USA 4-3 on penalties after regulation time ended 1-1.
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