By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Again, FIFA World Cup bronze-medallists, Nigeria’s Flamingos thrashed their Central African Republic (CAR) opponents 6-0 in the return leg, second round of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers match played at Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Friday to qualify for the third round on 12 -0 goals aggregate.
Nigeria had also walloped CAR 6-0 in the first leg match played at Stade de la Reunification in Douala, Cameroon last weekend and needed only not to conceed six goals at home but showed no mercy to the hapless Central Africans who had no clear cut goal opportunity throughout the 90 minutes of the match.
Like in the first leg tie in Cameroon, the adopted home ground of CAR, it took only two minutes before forward Harmony Chidi opened scores for Nigeria and made it two goals for the Coach Olowookere Bankole’s team in the 14th minute while Kesiena Tessy
Ojiyovwi scored the three goals in the 36 minute as the first half ended 3-0.
On resumption, the Flamingos continued where they stopped as the Nigerian youg girls who outclassed and scored their opponents added three more goals courtesy of the usual suspects Harmony scored a hat-trick just as Kareem Ramota and Ojivovwi hit a hat-trick in the quick-fire second half which could have seen the Flamingos score more than six goals if they were more clinical in front of goal.
Efforts by the Central Africans who fought so hard to get something from the encounter with Nigeria proved abortive as the more organised
Nigerians shut down their opponents and limited them to occasional attacks which were not enough to trouble the Flamingos goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma.
Moroccan officials Zakia El Grini, center referee, with her compatriots Ihsane Ennouajeli Nouajli, Karima Khadiri and Sabah Sadir played the roles of assistant 1, assistant 2 and 4th official respectively. Naa Odofoley Nortey from Ghana was the Match Commissioner.
Nigeria have appeared at every edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals except one, in the 2018 finals in Uruguay. The 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is billed for Dominican Republic.
