Senegal got a stunning sucker punch and were thrown out of the race for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals after hosts Liberia stormed powerfully to a 2-0 win in Monrovia on Sunday to overturn a 1-3 first leg deficit.

The Young Maidens of Teranga were the favourites going into the second leg in the Liberia capital, but Louise Brown got the hosts in front in added time of the first half, and Dalphine Glao made it two nine minutes into the second half to throw the camp of the visitors into apprehension.

There were to be no further goals but the Liberian girls scraped through to the final round of the qualifiers on the away-goal rule, and will host Nigeria in the first leg on Saturday, 8^th June. The return leg comes up a week later at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

FIFA U17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP AFRICAN FINAL QUALIFYING ROUND

Liberia Vs Nigeria

Burundi Vs Kenya

Zambia Vs Morocco 

Nigeria reached the final round of the African qualification series for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals after a 6-0 defeat of Burkina Faso at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday evening.

Goal-poacher Harmony Chidi, who netted six of Nigeria’s dozen goals in the 12-0 annihilation of Central African Republic in the first round and also got the team’s goal in the 1-1 draw away in Bamako last week Saturday, came up big again with a hat-trick in front of delighted spectators in Nigeria’s administrative capital.

She put the Nigeria U17 girls in front after 11 minutes, capitalizing on a defensive blunder by the duo of Faridatou Ouedraogo and Obaidatou Nkiema to dribble past goalkeeper Agueratou Baguian. Four minutes later, Shakirat Moshood’s angled shot was foiled by the upright, and in the 27^th minute, Peace Effiong’s dashing run ended with a tame shot.

Effiong made amends in the 34^th minute, riding a couple of rough tackles to flash past the overworked Baguian as spectators egged the Flamingos on. She should have made it 3-0 with four minutes left in the first period, but got too much purchase on the ball from four yards.

In the second half, visiting goalkeeper Baguian drew applause with an excellent double save from Harmony Chidi in the 55^th minute, but the World Cup bronze medallists reserved their greater potency for the last quarter-hour. In the 74^th minute, Taiwo Afolabi’s soaring volley from 20 yards rocked the crossbar, but Chidi was on hand to coolly nod it into the net.

Substitute Ramota Kareem made it four in the 84^th minute. Two minutes later, Chidi got her hat-trick with a dipping shot, and with one minute left on the clock, Effiong got her brace after a wonderful team move.

Victory earned Nigeria a 7-1 aggregate win, and a place in the final round against the winner of the Senegal/Liberia fixture. The first leg is scheduled for Saturday, 8^th June.

Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Marta celebrated her country’s selection to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup on Friday and called for the opening match to be played in Rio Grande do Sul, which has been devastated by recent flooding.

Brazil was chosen by the FIFA Congress to stage the tournament, beating a joint bid from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to become the first South American nation to host the event.

“I was very happy with the news and I’m sure that the 2027 Women’s World Cup will be a success, and the Brazilian people, as always, will be with open arms to welcome the world soccer community,” Marta said in a video on social media.

The 38-year-old midfielder, a six-times Women’s World Player of the Year, is retiring from international football this year.

“If it were possible, I would like the Brazilian national team’s first match to be in Rio Grande Sul. The state of Rio Grande do Sul deserve it,” Marta added.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) suspended two rounds of the Brazilian Championship due to the floods that have killed more than 150 people, according to state government figures.

-Reuters