The Flamingos returned to winning ways today with a 4-0 victory over New Zealand in a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Group B clash in Goa, India.
The win comes three days after the Nigerian girls had opened their campaign with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Germany.
At the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium today, the Flamingos spread their wings and flew past the 2018 bronze medallists via goals from Amina Bello, Miracle Usani, Taiwo Afolabi and Edidiong Etim.
Bello opened the floodgates of goals in the 16th minute as the Nigerian girls underlined their dominance, and they went into the the break 2-0 up following Usani’s 34th minute strike.
It was Usani’s second goal of the tournament after her effort against Germany, but she and her colleagues could have been much more comfortably ahead at half-time but for some glaring misses.
New Zealand resisted the Nigerians for 30 minutes in the second half before finally breaking again.
Afolabi netted Nigeria’s third in the 75th minute but it needed a review from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) before it was confirmed.
Etim, on as a substitute in the 65th minute, finished off the New Zealanders on the stroke of full-time as the Flamingos got their campaign back on track.
The Flamingos will book a spot in the quarter-finals if they beat Chile in their final group fixture on Monday.
