Targets by Janet Akekoromowei and Consolation Folorunsho towards Tanzania on the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Sunday gave Nigeria a 2-1 win and progress to the ultimate spherical of qualifiers for the 2024 FIFA U20 Ladies’s World Cup finals.
After a depressing afternoon for Nigerian ball followers following the Tremendous Eagles’ disappointing 1-1 draw with the Warriors of Zimbabwe in impartial Rwanda within the race to 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, the Falconets gave the followers one thing to smile about as they edged their Tanzanian counterparts 3-2 on mixture to achieve the ultimate spherical, the place they are going to tackle Burundi’s U20 ladies.
The 2022 World Cup quarter-finalists, who’ve by no means been absent from the worldwide finals, swarmed on the guests from the primary blast of the whistle, however poor marksmanship on the a part of former U17 group striker Opeyemi Ajakaye robbed them of an early objective.
Akekoromowei finally put Nigeria in entrance after 16 minutes, when she rifled residence from the sting of the field after an clever cross from Taiwo Afolabi.
5 minutes later, the East Africans have been at parity, when goalkeeper Shukura Bakare dropped the ball from an innocuous-looking free-kick 35 yards out and Jamila Mnunduka bundled the ball over the road.
Nigeria would have been forward within the 25th minute, however defender Shukurat Oladipo’s well-struck free-kick from 40 yards was parried away by goalkeeper Zulfa Ally Makau. Ajakaye did not make hay with one other alternative within the 33rd minute.
On the hour mark, defender Consolation Folorunsho broke the spell of 1-1draws for Nigeria’s nationwide groups in latest weeks, when she leapt highest to move residence from Afolabi’s cross after a few touches from a nook kick. Â
The Falconets will now tackle Burundi within the remaining spherical of qualifiers, to find out considered one of Africa’s flagbearers at subsequent 12 months’s world championship to be hosted by Colombia.
