By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
It promises to be fireworks, adverse weather conditions permitting, when Nigeria’s junior women’s football team, the Falconets file out against Asian giants Korea Republic in the second Group C match on the ongoig FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final in Costa Rica.
The Coach Christopher Danjuma Musa tutored Falconets will aim for early passage into the quarter-final stage of the competition with a second win in mind when they take on ‘Taegeuk Nangja’ (Taegeuk Ladies) by 9 pm Sunday night at Estadio Alajuela Morera Soto in San Jose, Costa Rica.
After the bright start in their group opener against France, the Falconets are set for a showdown with table toppers Korea Republic who also had a winning start with a heartwarming 2-0 victory over highly-rated rated Canada.
Although both countries are on three points, the Asians are ahead in Group C with superior goal difference but if the Nigerians will put up a better performance than they did in the first game against France, victory is assured for them on Sunday night.
Against France on a wet night, it took the heroics of the 18-year-old Bayelsa Queens striker, Flourish Sebastine, who was named Player of the Match, to score the lone goal against the run of play which gifted Nigeria the three full points at the expense of France.
The South Koreans will have to contend with the top-class finisher with a great all-round game of guile, movement and positioning who will lead the line for the African side. Sebastine who netted seven goals in the qualifying series to help the Falconets make it to Costa Rica in style is hoping for more in this tournament.
Aside from Sebastine, Mercy Idoko, who bagged the assist in the game against France, and skipper Tosin Demehin are some of the other key players for the Falconets.
Sunday’s meeting would be the third at this level between Korea and Nigeria with the Falconets having the upper hand with victories in the last two games.
Both sides first met on 19 August, 2012, in Japan, when Nigeria romped to a 2-0 win in their group match. Their second meeting was on 9 August, 2014, in Canada and it was in the group stage, which eventually ended in a 2-1 scoreline in favour of Nigeria.
In the earlier meetings, Nigeria finished top of the group and Korea finished second, with both teams qualifying for the knockout stage.
A similar situation may play out if the Falconets win Sunday’s contest which guarantees an automatic qualification for the quarter-final.
