Nigeria’s Flamingos secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Dominican Republic's Quisqueyanas in their final group match of the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday morning at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium. The win ensured Nigeria’s place at the top of the group with a perfect nine points, advancing to the quarterfinals where they will face the United States.
With qualification already assured before the final group game, head coach Bankole Olowookere took the opportunity to rotate his squad. Rokibat Azeez, Blessing Ifitezue, and Ramotallahi Kareem were handed their first starts of the tournament, replacing Oonyedikachi Ekezie, Peace Effiong, and Harmony Chidi, who were named on the bench for the first time.
Nigeria looked dangerous from the start, and in the 11th minute, Aminat Moshood found the back of the net after some brilliant work by Kareem. However, the goal was ruled out, denying the Flamingos an early lead.
Dominican Republic holds firm, but Moshood comes clutch
The Quisqueyanas, despite their struggles in the tournament, put up a resilient defensive performance, frustrating Nigeria’s attack. A lapse in concentration from the Flamingos’ defense gave Alexa Isabella Castro a chance to put the Dominican Republic ahead, but her effort failed to hit the target. Shortly after, Dominican Republic’s goalkeeper Jaylene Rondon denied Moshood’s effort, and Ifitezue’s rebound was also blocked.
The first half ended goalless—marking the first time Nigeria had failed to score in the opening 45 minutes during the tournament, thanks to the Dominican Republic’s disciplined backline.
The second half saw Nigeria continue to struggle in breaking down their determined opponents. Coach Olowookere introduced key substitutes in the 63rd minute, bringing on Peace Effiong and Harmony Chidi to inject fresh energy into the team.
In the 72nd minute, Chidi set up Taiwo Adegoke with a brilliant cross, but Adegoke failed to capitalize. Chidi came even closer to scoring with a header that hit the woodwork in the 86th minute.
Finally, with just two minutes of normal time remaining, Moshood delivered the decisive moment. Her long-range strike flew past the Dominican Republic goalkeeper, handing Nigeria a much-deserved lead and ultimately securing the 1-0 win.
Nigeria will now face a stern test in the quarterfinals against the United States on Saturday.
