By Harry Awurumibe
The victory of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s football team, Flamingos on Sunday over Germany’s side in the 3rd place match which fetched the country her first medal in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final did not come easy.
Nigeria defeated Germany 3-2 on penalty shoot-out to clinch a consolatory Bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup at DY Patil Stadium, Nerul, Navi in Mumbai, India.
The match ended 3-3 in regulation time, leading to a penalty shootout. The penalty then ended 3-2 in Nigeria’s favour as the team took revenge for their 2-1 loss against the Europeans in their opening group match despite scoring first in the encounter.
Not to be beaten twice in one competition by the same team, the Flamingos’ Head Coach, Olowookere Bankole and his assistants, Queendolyn Akpan, Adanna Nwaeri; goalkeeper trainer Ndanusa Abubakar and Morufu Adeyemo, Scouting/ Physical trainer held a crucial technical meeting in Gao after a defeat by Colombia in the first semi-final match.
Prompt News Online reports that in the meeting was the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Assistant Technical Director (1), Rafiu Yusuf aka ‘Planner’ who was embedded with the team from the period of selection in Nigeria. Strategic decisions were taken on how the Flamingos will set up against Germany for the 3rd place play-off.
With the second choice goalkeeper Chikamso Linda Jiwuaku badly injured from a domestic accident in the camp, the lot fell on the regular Faith Omilana to start while Jessica Inyiama was on the bench.
Coach Bankole also tweaked the team a bit by starting Chidera Okenwa who had not tested action in the competition till Sunday in the attack and also dropped defender Omamuzo Edafe for Edith Aderemi, as Nigeria’s starting XI were: following:
1. Omilana (GK)
4. Aderemi,
3. Usani,
5. Adeshina,
6. Oyinlola,
7. Bello,
8. Emmanuel (C), 10. Afolabi,
11. Okenwa,
13. Folorunsho,
17. Ajakaye.
Interestingly, the combination of Okenwa, Aminat Bello and fast-paced Opeyemi Ajakaye worked perfectly as Nigeria began the match in good stead and were rewarded when forward Opeyemi Ajakaye broke her goal drought with her brilliant 20th minute opener for the Flamingos with a ferocious shot which German goalkeeper parried into her own net.
The Germans had a goal of their own but it was ruled out by VAR and despite the Germans creating lots of build-ups, they lacked a proper finish to make a comeback in the game until the end of first half.
The match stayed that way for the first half but the Nigerians doubled the lead three minutes into the second half as an Aminat Bello headed ball went in effortlessly from a Miracle Usani’s corner kick.
Nigerian girls then made it three when Etim Edidiong found the back of the net in the 63rd minute but the Germans were not perturbed as they clawed back just in time to tie the game.
Germany scored three goals in the last seventeen minutes of the match to push the game to penalties. It was, however, the Nigerians who smiled at last in the tie that also saw Ajakaye win the Player of the Match prize, her third in the competition.
It was also the third penalty shootout for the Flamingos in the tournament. They lost the semi-final against Colombia after penalties and had earlier defeated the United States of America (USA) on penalties to reach that feat.
In six matches, the Nigerians won four and lost two. This was also the first time the West Africans reached the semi-final of the competition.
Sunday’s win makes Nigeria the second African side to have clinched Bronze medal after Ghana’s Black Maidens won it in 2012, Prompt News Online recalls.
Meanwhile, Flamingos will now fly into Abuja on Tuesday afternoon instead of the wee hours of Wednesday because of time difference between Nigeria and India.
