FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Nigeria’s Flamingos fall short against USA

The second goal, scored by Kimmi Ascanio in the 74th minute, sealed Nigeria's fate and ended their impressive World Cup campaign

Nigeria’s U-17 Women’s National Team, the Flamingos, were eliminated from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after a 2-0 defeat to the United States in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

The match was a rematch of the 2022 quarterfinal, where Nigeria had emerged victorious.

However, the US team proved too strong on this occasion, scoring goals in either half to secure their place in the semifinals.

The first goal came in the 43rd minute from a penalty kick, giving the US a 1-0 lead. Nigeria fought hard to equalise but couldn’t find the breakthrough.

The second goal, scored by Kimmi Ascanio in the 74th minute, sealed Nigeria’s fate and ended their impressive World Cup campaign.

Despite the loss, the Flamingos had a strong tournament, topping their group with convincing victories over New Zealand and Ecuador as well as another victory over hosts Dominican Republic.

Having secured a bronze medal at the 2022 edition in India, the Flamingos will be unhappy not to have matched their previous performance let alone supercede it this time.

As the team looks to the future, they will build on the experience gained from this tournament and strive for even greater success in the next edition billed for 2025 in Morocco.