FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Finals: Flamingos rout Samoa 4-0 to reach Round of 16

Nigeria reached the Round of 16 at this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals in Morocco after a dominant performance earned them a 4-0 win over Samoa in Rabat.

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 be able to reach the knock-out rounds, after a 1-4 reverse against Canada on the opening day and a lone goal defeat by France three days ago.

In the event, they went about the business with all seriousness and bounced on the scoresheet after only 13 minutes, when Joseph latched on to 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 Flamingos 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.

In the 67th minute, the fourth goal finally arrived, with Oduntan scoring from a well-placed cross, either side of two brilliant saves by Nigeria’s goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu.

The win was enough to see the Flamingos, bronze medallists at the 2022 finals hosted by India, reach the Round of 16.