Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team Flamingos on Saturday defeated DR Congo 5 -0 in Benin City to advance to the next round of the India 2022 U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, where they will battle Egypt in the third round next month.
The Flamingos qualified 8-0 on aggregate, having won the first leg 3-0 in Kinshasa.
Esther Opeyemi slotted a low short into the right corner in the fourth minute to give the Flamingos an early lead, sending the Nigerian fans at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium into jubilation, before adding a second in the 13th minute.
Timininu Adeshina made it 3-0 for the hosts in the 19th minute from a free-kick.
There were no further goals before the break, but the Flamingos missed a couple of chances early in the second half, before Doosuur Atume grabbed the fourth goal in the 58th minute.
Tiawo Afolabi then made it 5-0 three minutes from time to give the Nigerian teenage girls an emphatic win.
DR Congo’s Masanga Aime got the only yellow card of the game in the 63rd minute.
Flamingos head coach Bankole Olowookere is now focused on the next game against Egypt.
He said, “We will study the Egyptians and develop our tactics for the next game. We know it will be tougher because even Congolese were tougher than when we played them in the first leg, so we will prepare well and not let the country down.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Governor, Edo State, Philip Shaibu, praised the team for the victory, and urged the technical crew to work on their finishing.
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