Izuchukwu Okosi
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Super Falconets in the early hours of Thursday morning confirmed their supremacy in Group C of the 2022 FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica with a 3-1 win over hapless Canada reports Prime Business Africa.
A pair of goals by Esther Onyenezide from the spot kick and a late goal by Chioma Olise ensured that the team topped their section with nine maximum points.
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Nigeria conceded an early goal two minutes into the match as Canada’s Kaila Novak pounced on a sloppy effort to play out from the back by the Nigerian keeper, Oyono Omini to slot the ball into the gaping net.
After that setback, it was Nigeria that dominated proceedings thereafter and they won two penalties.
Canada’s Mia Pante who was initially red-carded by the Australian referee Lara Lee for handling the ball saw her punishment rescinded after a VAR review albeit the penalty still stood.
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Esther Onyenezide put the ball away from 12 yards to make it 1-1 in the game.
A minute later, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu’s header from a good cross by Jumoke Alani went wide.
The Nigerian side was gifted another penalty when Mercy Idoko was caught by the boots of Simi Awujo but she was lucky to stay on after the referee again checked the footage of the incident.
Onyenezide then stepped up to convert her second spot kick in the match and score her third goal of the tournament.
Blessing Okpe had a glorious chance to make it 3-1 but her shot inside the box went agonisingly wide off target.
Chiamaka Okwuchukwu was guilty of squandering some glit-edge chances in the second half but some tactical changes from coach Christopher Danjuma who kept bellowing instructions from the touchline worked a treat as the Nigerian attackers relentlessly harried their opponents.
Substitute Chioma Olise eventually grabbed the third goal for Nigeria in added time after latching onto a delightful cross by the impressive left back Rofiat Imuran.
The Falconets will face Netherlands in the quarterfinals clash on Sunday night at 11.30pm Nigerian time.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
