WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
What a turn around! Cote d’Ivoire bounce back from a 3-1 home loss in U-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers
In what should serve as a timely warning to the Nigeria women’s U-17 team, who secured a 3-1 away win over South Africa, their Cote d’Ivoire counterparts bounced back from a 3-1 home loss to Burundi only to win 3-0 away.
Nigeria will on Saturday in Ikenne face South Africa who, like Cote d’Ivoire, lost 3-1 at home. That Cote d’Ivoire could bounce back in the reciprocal fixture may have buoyed South Africa to attempt the same on Saturday.
After losing 3-1 at home in the first leg, the young Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire responded with a clinical 3-0 win in the return match on Wednesday, 12 March to secure passage into the third and final round of qualifiers.
From the very first minutes of the match, Adélaïde Koudougnon’s players showed unwavering determination.
Eager to make up for their deficit, they applied intense pressure on the hosts. In the 9th minute, Alimatou Zea lit the first spark by expertly converting a direct free kick, giving her team a valuable lead.
Seven minutes later, Nahomie Bah followed suit by doubling the score with a well-placed shot that left the Burundian goalkeeper with no chance.
With this two-goal advantage at halftime, Côte d’Ivoire was in a strong position, still needing just one more goal for direct qualification.
Despite the intensity of the match and growing pressure from Burundi in the second half, the Ivorians remained composed.
They continued to play with discipline and intelligence, looking for the opportunity to score that third goal, which would secure their qualification.
It was in the 69th minute that Rolande Adjoua sealed the fate of the match with an unstoppable strike. Following a beautiful combination starting from the right side, she received a perfectly weighted cross before sending the ball into the back of the net.
Côte d’Ivoire becomes the first nation to secure its ticket for the third round of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
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Despite wintry conditions in Blida, on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, Algiers, Nigeria’s U17 girls dug their feet into the ground on Friday night.
They achieved a scoreless draw that qualified them for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals.
Holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage, the 2002 bronze medallists adopted a calm and collected pattern that easily soaked up the expected pressure from the hosts and then relied on fast breaks to try and pull the trigger on their opponents.
Although they created better chances on the night, the Flamingos failed to make dominance in possession pay, but swiftly collected the ticket to Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win.
The difference over two legs of the final round was a remarkable display in the opening leg by the Flamingos, during which a brace by Queen Joseph and one each by Zainab Raji and substitute Aisha Animashaun ensured a 4-0 win.
The Flamingos will now be one of Africa’s five representatives (including hosts Morocco) at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals taking place from 17th October – 5th November. The final competition will entertain 24 teams for the very first time.
Since the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria have failed to make the finals only once – the 2018 tournament hosted by Uruguay.
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Despite heavy first leg loss, Algeria hopeful of a turnaround in Nigeria’s Flamingos clash
The Algeria U17 women’s national team still hope for a possible turnaround in this Friday night clash with Nigeria’s Flamingos.
Algeria lost 4-0 in the first leg match in Ikenne last Saturday.
The Algerians completed their preparations on Thursday at the Sidi Moussa National Technical Centre, the eve of the return match against Nigeria.
The return match is scheduled for this Friday at 8 p.m. at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Aggregate winners will pick a ticket to the FIFA U-17 Women’s 2025 World Cup.
According to sources in Algeria, all the players took part in the final session, during which coach Abdenour Mira finalised the tactical details for the make or mar encounter.
Despite the heavy defeat conceded in the first leg (4-0), the young Algerians approach this match with the desire to finish well and deliver an honourable performance against a formidable Nigerian team.
During the technical meeting held early in the afternoon at the FAF headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the two teams and the organisers, it was decided that Algeria will play in green, while Nigeria will wear white.
The match will be officiated by Cameroonian Aline Marie Noelle Guimbang, assisted by her compatriot Laurie Marcelle Tsafack Teikeu and Chadian Victorine Ngarassoum.
The fourth official will also be Cameroonian, Innoncentia Njang Ntangti.
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Under possible cold weather in Blida, Nigeria’s Flamingos set to grab World Cup ticket
The weather is most likely to be cold, but Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are set to continue a tradition of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which has had eight editions, out of which the Flamingos featured in seven.
Only Japan, with 100 per cent attendance, has featured in more competitions than Nigeria’s Flamingos.
They look poised to feature again after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria in the first leg of the final qualifying series.
Apart from their opponents, Algeria, they have the expected cold weather to battle with at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers), on Friday night.
Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, bronze-medallists from the 2022 finals in India and quarterfinalists from the last edition in the Dominican Republic, holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage.
The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to kick off at 8 pm, at a time when the winds will begin to blow in stronger from the Mediterranean Sea.
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