Nigeria’s U-17 Beats Dominican Republic, to Face USA in Round of 16

Oluwasegun SanusiOctober 23, 20241 Mins read239

source: gettyimages

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over hosts Dominican Republic in the final minutes of their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup group-stage match early Wednesday in Santo Domingo.

The win, which came from a stunning strike by midfielder Shakirat Moshood, ensures Nigeria’s perfect group-stage run and sets up a Round of 16 clash with the United States.

Earlier in the match, Moshood had a goal ruled out for offside just 15 minutes in, following a tight call confirmed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Captain Taiwo Afolabi also had a close chance, forcing the Dominican goalkeeper into a fine save.

Moshood, who has been in sensational form since the start of the tournament, scored the only goal of the game, her fourth in the ongoing tournamemt. In the 88th minute, she collected the ball 25 yards out and made a powerful left-footed shot that sailed past the Dominican goalkeeper.

This win is the Flamingos’ third consecutive triumph, allowing them to finish atop Group A with nine points. They outperformed Ecuador, New Zealand, and the Dominican Republic, scoring eight goals and conceding only one across their three group-stage matches.

The match also set a record for the highest-attended football match involving any Dominican Republic national team, with 13,535 spectators in attendance.

The Flamingos began their tournament campaign with a dominant 4-1 win over New Zealand, followed by a commanding 4-0 victory against Ecuador.

Their next challenge will be a highly anticipated quarterfinal clash against the United States, which promises to be a thrilling encounter.

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