The Nigerian under-17 women’s national team, known as the Flamingos, on Monday defeated Chile 2-1 in their final Group B match of the ongoing 2022 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India.
The team led by Coach Bankole Olowookere fell to Germany 1-2 in their opening encounter but came out firing in their second match to thrash New Zealand 4-0.
The Flamingos got off to a fast start as Blessing Emmanuel, a 16-year-old midfielder, finished off a pass from Opeyemi Ajakaye in the fourth minute.
Although Chile had the most of the ball, the Flamingos had the better opportunities and led at the half.
It was more of the same in the second half as the Flamingos maintained their lead despite Chile’s desperate attempts to assault with more players.
Amina Bello sent the ball to Bisola Mosaku, who scored the Flamingos’ second goal in the 82nd minute.
In extra time, Chile’s Tali Rovner successfully converted a penalty, setting up a dramatic conclusion to the match.
The Flamingos would go on to win all three points, finishing their group stage with six points out of a possible nine.
The victory means that the Flamingos finished second in Group B, as Germany defeated New Zealand 3-1 to take first place.
The Flamingos have qualified for the quarterfinals and will now face their opponents from group A, which also includes Morocco, Brazil, and the United States of America (USA).
