Hosts Ghana lifted the inaugural WAFU B U17 Girls’ Cup on Sunday, but only after a 5-4 penalty shootout defeat of resilient Nigeria at the Ghanaian Centre of Excellence in Prampram, outside Accra.

Minutes after both countries’s senior home-based professionals could not find the net in an African Nations Championship qualifier scores of kilometres away at the Accra Sports Stadium, the girls were buoyant in a four-goal thriller that led to a penalty shootout, which the Maidens won after scoring all five of their spot kicks while Nigeria fluffed one of their own.

Getrude Amoafo put the hosts in front in the 14^th minute, and then the irrepressible Priscilla Mensah doubled the advantage five minutes later. It appeared the Maidens would coast to an easy victory, but the Nigerian girls had other ideas.

Precious Oscar halved the deficit in the 34^th minute, with a powerful volley right inside the Ghanaian vital area, and Harmony Chidi restored parity in the 78^th minute with a long-range strike that flew above goalkeeper Aishatu Fatai.

Defender Taiwo Adegoke handed the advantage to the hosts in the shootout, when she struck the woodwork from six yards, but the Flamingos certainly gave a good account of themselves in a tournament in which they scored 16 goals in four matches, conceding only four.

Benin Republic took the bronze medals with another penalty shootout defeat of Cote d’Ivoire in the third-place match played earlier in the day.   

 Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Scoring sensation Harmony Chidi notched a hat-trick as Nigeria edged Cote d’Ivoire 3-2 in their second match of the WAFU B U17 Girls’ Cup in Accra on Monday.

Chidi, who netted 13 of the 25 goals as the Flamingos crushed everything on their path in Africa to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic this year, took matters into her own hands to ensure Nigeria finished top of group B of the inaugural competition.

Following their 9-0 whiplash of Niger Republic on Thursday, the Flamingos finished the group campaign with the six maximum points, and with 12 goals for and only two against, while Cote d’Ivoire, 5-0 winners over the Nigeriens, came second with three points and seven goals for, three against. The Nigeriens finished without a point, and with no goal, 14 against.

The young Ivorian girls will go up against hosts, Black Maidens of Ghana in the first semi-final of the competition on Thursday, before the second semi-final that will see FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists Nigeria tackle neighbours Benin Republic at the Ghana Centre of Excellence in Prampram.

Esther Kwame, who scored the Ivorians’ first goal against Nigeria with a far-distance shot in the 56^th minute, and Guasam, who scored from the penalty spot to reduce the tally five minutes later after a foul by Rokibat Azeez, could prove a handful for the Black Maidens on Thursday. 

Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has selected FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup scorers Shakirat Moshood and Harmony Chidi among a list of 20 players of the Nigeria U17 girls, Flamingos, for the WAFU B U17 Girls’ Cup starting on Thursday.

There are also goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma, defenders Taiwo Adegoke and Ayomide Ibrahim, midfielder Faridat Abdulwahab, and forwards Peace Effiong and Mary Lucky Nkpa.

The Flamingos are in group B of the two-week competition, alongside the U17 girls of Niger Republic and Cote d’Ivoire, while hosts Ghana will play Benin Republic in group A, following the withdrawal of Burkina Faso. Togo had earlier withdrawn from the tournament.

Nigeria’s U17 girls reached the quarter-finals of the recent FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic, scoring nine goals in the group phase, before they were defeated by the United States of America in the Round of 8.

20 FLAMINGOS FOR GHANA 2024

Goalkeepers: Christiana Uzoma (Edo Queens); Elizabeth Boniface (Sunshine Queens); Sylvia Echefu (Bayelsa Queens)

Defenders: Rokibat Azeez (New Generation Academy); Taiwo Adegoke (Remo Stars Ladies); Jumai Adebayo Naija Ratels); Ayomide Ibrahim (Remo Stars Ladies); Prisca Nwachukwu (Heartland Queens); Oluwatoyin Olowookere (Ekiti Queens); Oghenemairo Obruthe (Lagos City)

Midfielders: Shakirat Moshood (Bayelsa Queens); Waliat Rotimi (Nakamura Academy); Farida Abdulwahab (Nasarawa Amazons)  

Forwards: Harmony Chidi (Imo Strikers); Peace Effiong (Rivers Angels); Mary Nkpa (Abia Angels); Aisha Animashaun (Naija Ratels); Mary Mamudu (Edo Queens); Precious Oscar (Bayelsa Queens); Janet Akekoromowei (Nasarawa Amazons)