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Anthony Nlebem.
Substitute goalkeeper Chikamso Jiwuaku and right-back Omamuzo Edafe were the heroines on Friday as Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team Flamingos beat the USA in a nervy penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals of the U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time, at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, India.
The young Nigerian girls triumphed on penalties 4-3 after full-time ended 1-1.
The Flamingos had always failed to get past the last eight of the competition since it was first hosted in 2008, but with the hard-fought win, Bankole Olowookere’s side broke the jinx to reach the last four of the cadet tournament.
The clash, which eventually started following a long delay due to adverse weather conditions, had been tagged a ‘David versus Goliath’ faceoff, but it was the Flamingos who scored first in the 27th minute after Edafe coolly converted from the penalty spot in the 27th minute, after the Video Assistant Referee adjudged that Aminat Bello had been unfairly hacked in the box.
The Americans, seeking a place in the last four of the competition for the first time in 14 years, were back on level terms 13 minutes later, after an unlucky Comfort Folorunsho diverted a fierce Villarreal shot, on the edge of the area, past goalkeeper Faith Omilana.
Both teams fought gamely in a battling second half, but the Americans were denied by Nigeria’s stout defending.
It took a last-ditch Miracle Usani clearance, after Omilana had been beaten by Onyeka Gamero, with six minutes left, to keep the Nigerian heroines in the game.
There is no extra time at the women’s cadet tournament, and
with the clock winding down after 90 minutes, coach Olowookere brought on Jiwuaku for Omilana for the shootout, and it paid off, as the substitute saved Mia Bhuta’s effort, before Edafe tucked in Nigeria’s final kick for a 4-3 win to send their supporters at the DY Patil Stadium into rapturous celebrations.
Substitutes Edidiong Etim and Immaculata Offiong, as well as Miracle Usani, converted the Flamingos’ first three penalties, after the Americans had fluffed one of theirs through Emri.
But Folorunsho blazed her effort, Nigeria’s fourth kick, wide as score stood at 3-3.
And cometh the hour, cometh the woman, as Jiwuaku dived right to save Bhuta’s effort, the Americans final kick, before Edafe converted to make score 4-3 and fire the Flamingos to a first-ever semi-final place in the competition.
The win brings back sweet memories of July 25, 2010 in Augsburg, Germany, when Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team Falconets defeated the Americans 4-2 in another penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in an U-20 Women’s World Cup quarter-final match.
On the way to the semi-finals, the Flamingos lost narrowly 2-1 to Germany in their first match but returned to winning ways after beating New Zealand and Chile 4-0 and 2-1 respectively in Group B to finish second behind the Germans.
The Flamingos will now take on the winners between Colombia and debutants and fellow Africans Tanzania in the semi-finals on Wednesday.