Nigeria’s Flamingos have powered their way into the Round of 16 at the ongoing FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after an impressive 4-0 victory over Samoa in Rabat on Saturday.
The Nigerian girls, determined to bounce back from earlier setbacks in the tournament, put up a commanding display that left no doubt about their quality and fighting spirit. Forward Queen Joseph was the star of the match, scoring twice to bring her total tally to three goals at the competition. Team captain Shakirat Moshood calmly converted from the penalty spot, while defender Azeezat Oduntan added the icing on the cake with a brilliant strike from the wing.
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After suffering a 1-4 loss to Canada and a narrow 1-0 defeat to France, Nigeria knew a high-margin win was crucial to stay in the competition. From kickoff, they displayed focus and urgency, finding the back of the net after just 13 minutes. Joseph pounced on a precise pass from Moshood and lobbed the ball beyond goalkeeper Grace Ae to open the scoring.
Ae made an excellent save moments later, tipping away Chisom Nwachukwu’s fierce shot, but she could not stop Moshood’s well-taken penalty in the 27th minute after Holly Leapai handled the ball inside the box.
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The Flamingos pressed on relentlessly, and their efforts paid off in the 36th minute when Nguemo Terlumun, who caused constant trouble for the Samoan defense, dribbled down the flank and delivered a perfect cross for Joseph to tap in Nigeria’s third goal.
Before halftime, Mariam Yahaya came close to extending the lead after a neat one-two exchange with Joseph, but Ae was alert once again to deny her.
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The Flamingos almost found their fourth goal seconds into the second half, but Moshood’s second penalty attempt was stopped by Ae following a foul on Terlumun. However, the breakthrough came in the 67th minute when Oduntan’s cross found its way into the net to seal a deserved 4-0 triumph.
Goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu also made crucial saves at the other end to preserve the clean sheet and maintain Nigeria’s momentum throughout the match.
The result was enough to send Nigeria, which won bronze at the 2022 edition in India, into the knockout rounds of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. With renewed confidence and attacking flair, the Flamingos now look forward to their next challenge as they continue their quest for glory in Morocco.
