15th August, 2022
By Aderonke Ojo
Nigeria’s Under-20 National Women’s Football Team (Falconets) defeated South Korea 1-0 on Sunday in their Group C Match Day Two of the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
The victory at the Estadio Alajuela Morera Soto Stadium sent the Falconets to the knockout rounds of the World Cup even before a final group game against Canada.
The Falconets also got off to a winning start on Thursday with a 1-0 win over highly-rated France.The South Koreans beat Canada 2-0.
Falconets got on a sound footing with excellent passes to the admiration of few spectators but no goal to show for their display in the first half of the match.
They started very well, but their Korean opponents grew into the game, and even hit the post from a free kick but the Nigerian girls held on.
Both teams played almost all their tactics and skills all to no avail in the pursuit of a goal that never came.
The Falconets dominated possession with 64 per cent as against the South Koreans’ 36 per cent.
Both teams continued from where they stopped with the Falconets dominating in the second half of the game .
Esther Onyenezide finally scored for the Falconets in the 83rd minute of the game for the winning goal.
Nigeria will be up against Canada on Aug.19 in their final group match.
The Falconets were paired in Group C along with France, South Korea and Canada.
Meanwhile, in another match played earlier in Group D, Japan defeated Ghana 2-0.
The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which started on Aug. 10, is expected to end on 28 August in Costa Rica.