Nigeria’s Flamingos secured a hard-fought victory over host nation Dominican Republic in the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, thanks to a stunning late goal by Shakirat Moshood. Her long-range effort from 25 yards, which marked her fourth goal of the tournament, sealed the 1-0 win in a match that drew the tournament’s highest attendance, with over 13,535 fans at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium.

Nigeria dominated the game, registering 41 shots, 13 of which were on target. The Flamingos also controlled possession with 73%, completing 420 passes at an 81% pass accuracy rate. In contrast, the Dominican Republic managed 170 passes and a 53% accuracy with just 27% possession.

After the match, Nigeria’s head coach, Bankole Olowookere, praised his team’s performance, saying, “I’m so happy; I’m happy for myself, happy for the team, and happy for the whole of Nigeria. We knew in this match we had to manage our energy and strength; these are young girls with many games to play, so we had to take it easy” (via FIFA.com and Daily Post).

With three wins out of three, Nigeria boasts a perfect record in the competition, scoring eight goals and conceding just one. Up next, they face the USA in the quarterfinals, where the stakes are higher as the knockout phase looms, leaving no room for error. A loss at this stage would mean elimination from the tournament.

By: Ibidunni Doyinsola
info@thesubstancenews.com