Nigeria’s Flamingos revived their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico on Tuesday, responding to their opening defeat to Poland with a performance that keeps their Round of 16 hopes alive ahead of Friday’s meeting with Korea DPR.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring in the 25th minute, finishing Queen Joseph’s assist before substitute Precious Oscar sealed the victory with a 90th-minute header from Kemi Adegbuyi’s cross at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat.
The result gave coach Akeem Busari’s side their first three points in Group B after their 2-1 loss to Poland on Saturday. It also ensured Nigeria avoided another setback against a Puerto Rico side that had begun its historic World Cup debut with a 6-0 defeat to Korea DPR.
But the Flamingos’ work in Morocco is far from complete. Their final group fixture against the two-time defending champions on Friday will provide a much sterner examination of their progress.
Nigeria started with attacking intent, pressing high and looking to trouble Puerto Rico’s defence with quick movement and direct forward play.
After an energetic opening, the Flamingos found the breakthrough in the 25th minute. Queen Joseph supplied the assist, and Adegbuyi finished to give Nigeria a lead that eased the pressure following their opening day defeat.
The goal allowed the Nigerian side to settle into the contest and enjoy extended spells of possession.
Having created opportunities against Poland without doing enough to secure a result, the Flamingos needed to turn their attacking pressure into a more convincing return.
Adegbuyi’s finish gave them the platform to do that, although the contest remained alive as Puerto Rico sought a response.
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Nigeria continued to look for another goal after the interval, with Queen Joseph, Tosin Rafiu and Favour Nkwocha among those who came close.
Puerto Rico made changes in an attempt to find a route back into the game, but Nigeria also refreshed their attack. Busari introduced Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku in the 67th minute, seeking additional energy as the Flamingos tried to strengthen their advantage.
The second goal, however, did not arrive until the closing moments. In the 90th minute, substitute Precious Oscar rose to head home a cross from Kemi Adegbuyi, giving Nigeria breathing space and confirming the 2-0 victory.
The Flamingos then negotiated six minutes of added time to secure all three points, avoiding the late uncertainty that can follow a narrow lead.
Korea DPR’s victory over Poland raises the stakes
Nigeria’s win came on a significant night in Group B, with Korea DPR defeating Poland 6-1 in the other fixture.
The result means the group’s remaining matches will carry considerable weight. Korea DPR have demonstrated their attacking strength with successive high scoring performances, while Poland’s heavy defeat leaves them under pressure after opening their campaign with a victory over Nigeria.
For the Flamingos, the 2-0 result against Puerto Rico provides an important response to their opening setback. They have now scored three goals and conceded two across their first two matches, improving their goal difference to plus one.
However, Nigeria cannot rely on that improvement alone to secure progression. Their final group match against Korea DPR on Friday will be crucial, with the outcome of the remaining fixtures and the group standings determining their route to the knockout stage.
The tournament’s format gives the top two teams in each group automatic qualification for the Round of 16, alongside the four best third-placed teams across the six groups.
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The victory over Puerto Rico restores momentum to Nigeria’s campaign, but the next challenge is considerably tougher.
Korea DPR opened their tournament with a 6-0 win over Puerto Rico before scoring six again against Poland.
Their attacking output makes Friday’s meeting a demanding test for a Nigerian side that must combine defensive discipline with the finishing touch it showed against Puerto Rico.
