Nigeria’s Under-17 female football team, Flamingos, on Friday played a goalless draw with Algeria to qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The 2022 bronze medalist, who were determined to win their last match of the qualifying series, absorbed the pressure of the Algerian girls in the return leg played at Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida.
The Flamingos battled for supremacy to be one of the countries to represent the continent in the World Cup in October
Despite the wintry conditions in Blida on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, Algiers, the Nigerian girls dug their feet into the ground and achieved a scoreless draw that qualified them for this year’s Women’s World Cup finals.
Holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage, the 2002 bronze medalists adopted a calm and collected pattern that soaked up the pressure from the host.
They then relied on fast breaks to try and pull the trigger on their opponents
Although they created better chances, the Flamingos failed to take advantage of their dominance in possession.
They, however, collected the ticket to Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win.
The difference over two legs of the final round was a remarkable display in the opening leg by the Flamingos.
The Flamingos will now be one of Africa’s five representatives (including host Morocco) at this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals holding from October 17 to November 5.
The final competition will feature 24 teams for the first time.
Since the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria didn’t make the finals only once.
This was at the 2018 tournament hosted by Uruguay.
(NAN)
