U-17 World Cup: Flamingos spank Samoa 4-0

Nigeria’s Flamingos on Saturday evening qualified for the round of 16 at the ongoing 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, following a 4-0 win over Samoa Island in their last group D match.

After losing their first two group games in the competition, Bankole Olowooke’s side rose to the occasion this time, at the Mohammed VI Football Academy (pitch 3), Salé, to restore Africa’s hopes of winning the global cadet championship for the first time.

Canada topped the group with a maximum nine points as they also pipped France 2-1 on Saturday, while the latter finished second with six points.

Following their 4-0 spanking of Samoa Island, Nigeria finished third on the table with three points without a deficit and qualified as one of the four best third-placed finishers.

Also qualified for the round of 16 as third-placed finishers are Morocco with three points and minus three-goal difference; the Netherlands with three points and minus five-goal difference; and Zambia with three points and plus one-goal difference, having spanked New Zealand 4-0 on Saturday night, in their last group game.

Queen Joseph hit a brace to take her tournament tally to three, and captain Shakirat Moshood scored from the penalty spot, while defender Azeezat Oduntan nicked a sweet one straight from the wing.

The Flamingos knew they needed a high-margin win to land in the knock-out stage, having lost their first two games, 1-4 to Canada and 0-1 to France.

The goal rain began in the 13th minute, when Joseph latched onto a great pass by Moshood and lifted the ball into the net far away from goalkeeper Grace Ae.

Ae was in the right place three minutes later to push away a decent shot by Chisom Nwachukwu, but she was sent the wrong way by Moshood from six yards in the 27th minute after defender Holly Leapai handled the ball in the box from a corner.

The 2022 World Cup bronze medallists continued to search for more goals, and in the 36th minute, Nguemo Terlumun, a constant thorn on the Samoan defence, danced past the rearguard and crossed for Joseph, who knocked the ball into the net for Nigeria’s third.

In the 44th minute, a brilliant exchange of passes between Joseph and Mariam Yahaya left the latter facing the goalkeeper, but her shot was pushed out.

The Flamingos thought they would be 4-0 up only 32 seconds into the second half, but Moshood’s effort from the penalty spot was well-read by Ae after Terlumun was fouled.

Oduntan eventually made it 4-0 when she scored from a well-placed cross in the 67th minute; either side of two brilliant saves by Nigeria’s goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu, as the scoreline was good enough to earn Nigeria a berth in the knockout stage of the competition introduced by FIFA in 2008.

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