Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have strengthened their chances of progressing at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after defeating Puerto Rico 2-0 in their Group B encounter in Rabat on Tuesday.
The Flamingos, bronze medallists at the 2022 edition, took the lead in the 25th minute through Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, who converted a pass from Queen Joseph.
Nigeria dominated the early exchanges, putting pressure on Puerto Rico’s defence with quick passing and attacking movements.
The team continued to push for a second goal after the break, with Queen Joseph, Tosin Rafiu and Favour Nkwocha creating opportunities.
Puerto Rico attempted to fight back through tactical changes, but coach Hakeem Busari responded with substitutions to sustain Nigeria’s attacking threat.
Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku were introduced in the 67th minute as the Flamingos intensified their search for another goal.
Their persistence paid off in the 90th minute when substitute Precious Oscar headed home a cross from Kemi Adegbuyi to seal the 2-0 victory.
Nigeria held firm during six minutes of added time to secure all three points and boost their position in Group B.
In the group’s other fixture, North Korea defeated Poland 6-1, setting up a crucial encounter with Nigeria on Friday.
The Flamingos will now look to build on the victory against Puerto Rico as they prepare for the challenging meeting with North Korea, with the result expected to have significant implications for their hopes of advancing to the next stage.
