Nigeria’s hopes of a strong start at the 2025 U-17 Women’s World Cup suffered a setback on Sunday as the Flamingos fell 1-4 to Canada in their Group D opener at the Football Academy Mohammed VI.
The North Americans drew first blood just two minutes into the game when Gabriela Istocki converted a precise assist from Molly Hale, sending the Flamingos on the back foot.
Nigeria, third-place finishers in the 2022 edition, responded in the 28th minute as Queen Joseph bundled the ball home to level the scores, a situation that held until halftime.
The second half began with both teams pushing for an advantage, but Nigeria’s defence faltered.
Canada struck three times in a 13-minute spell to assert control.
Melisa Kekic restored Canada’s lead in the 73rd minute before Julia Amireh capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Nigeria’s Boniface to make it 3-1 in the 80th minute.
Amireh sealed the result six minutes later with a swift counterattack, giving Canada a 4-1 victory.
The win propels Canada to the top of Group D with three points, ahead of France, while Nigeria finds itself at the bottom of the standings.
The Flamingos will look to bounce back when they face France on Wednesday, followed by a clash with Samoa on Saturday.
Nigeria reached the quarter-finals in the previous tournament but will need a stronger showing if they are to progress this year.
Comments
Post a Comment