Nigeria’s Flamingos have pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the U17 Women’s World Cup after beating defending champions, Korea DPR 3-1 to reach the round of 16 at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat on Friday.
Prior to the game, few Nigerians gave the Flamingos a chance due to Korea DPR's goalscoring form in their last two matches. The Asians were unstoppable as they thrashed Puerto Rico 6-0 and then defeated Poland 6-1.
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On the hand, Nigeria were inconsistent in their two opening games as they lost 2-1 to Poland before labouring to a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico.
As a result, fear and doubt were all over social media and local media as many Nigerian supporters braced for the worst possible result.
While Nigerians were getting ready for the worst result, Coach Akeem Busari’s girls had other ideas and weren't intimidated by the reputation of their opponents.
The breakthrough came in the 15th minute when Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, who scored the first goal against Puerto Rico, put the Flamingos ahead.
Instead of sitting back to protect the shock lead, the Flamingos kept pushing until they doubled the tally in the 38th minute when Oluebube Umejiaku converted a pass from Tosin Rafiu.
The Nigerians went into the break with a 2-0 advantage, against a team that had scored 12 goals in two games.
Kanyinsola Yusuf, who was an impact substitute against Poland, found the back of the net in the 56th minute to make it 3-0.
Despite conceding three goals, the Koreans kept pressing and pulled one back from the penalty spot through Yu Jong Hyang in the 82nd minute. However, Nigeria’s defence held firm, giving the defending champions little comeback hope.
The result lifts Nigeria second in Group B with six points from three games. They are behind Korea DPR, who still topped the group despite the defeat.
While Coach Busari and his girls wait to know their next opponent, this victory will undoubtedly give the Flamingos plenty of belief as the tournament progresses.
