Nigeria’s U17 women’s team, the Flamingos, saw their 10-match unbeaten run come to an end after a 4–3 defeat to New Zealand in a thrilling friendly on Saturday in Casablanca, Afrosport reports.
Queen Joseph opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 13th minute after a fine team move before New Zealand’s Laura Bennett equalised midway through the first half. Captain Shakirat Moshood then restored Nigeria’s lead just before half-time with a stunning long-range effort after the Kiwis had a goal ruled out for offside.
The second half was packed with drama, as Bennett completed her hat-trick shortly after Joseph hit the post for Nigeria. She levelled proceedings for New Zealand in the 55th minute before adding another 19 minutes later.
The Flamingos pulled level once again through a powerful strike from outside the box, but Candy Sienna’s late goal in the 80th minute sealed victory for the Kiwis.
Despite the loss, the young Nigerians impressed with their attacking play and determination, showing plenty of positives ahead of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The defeat ends Nigeria’s impressive unbeaten streak in warm-up matches, where they scored 47 goals and conceded just four.
Bankole Olowookere’s side now shift focus to their next friendly against Paraguay before beginning their World Cup campaign in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa on 19 October.
