Nigeria’s Falconets crashed out of the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup at the quarter-final stage on Sunday after losing 1-0 to Colombia.
A late stoppage-time goal at Stadion Miejski in Łódź ensured that Colombia eliminated Nigeria from the competition.
Nigeria’s tournament began unpromisingly, with a 2-0 defeat to Spain in their Group F opener, followed by a frustrating goalless draw against China.
Heading into their final group match, the Falconets needed a result to keep their hopes alive.
They thrashed New Caledonia 10-1, a result that secured their place in the knockout rounds of the competition and announced Nigeria as a side capable of ruthless finishing.
The Falconets carried the momentum into the Round of 16, where they produced a commanding 3-0 victory over England.
Three goals from Tosin Rafiu, Seimeyeha Akekoromowei and Mercy Mamudu gave Moses Aduku’s side victory over England, while goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma saved a crucial first-half penalty.
Against Colombia, Nigeria was the better team for much of the match.
The Falconets created more dangerous chances, with Akekoromowei hitting the crossbar in the 19th minute and Adeshina forcing Colombian goalkeeper, Luisa Agudelo into an excellent save just before half-time.
The match turned in the 77th minute when Kafayat Mafisere was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for a foul on Colombia’s Samantha Rodriguez.
Reduced to 10 players, Nigeria continued to press, but Colombia began to find space on the counter.
The breakthrough came in the second minute of stoppage time. Valerin Loboa latched onto a through ball and saw her first attempt blocked by Uzoma, but she was quickest to react, slotting home the rebound to send Colombia into the semi-finals.
Speaking with DAILY POST about what went wrong for the Falconets as they crashed out of the competition, Eagle Stars FC coach, Isma’il Musa noted that Moses Aduku’s side failed to take their chances against Colombia.
“For me, the major issue with the Falconets was their inability to convert the chances they created.
“They played with determination, but football is about taking your chances, and Colombia punished Nigeria late in the game. The red card also made the final stages more difficult,” Musa said.
With Nigeria’s exit confirmed, the tournament moves towards its climax, with four teams — Spain, Italy, Colombia and North Korea — set to battle for a place in the final.
The semi-finals will take place on Wednesday. Spain will face Italy, while Colombia will tackle North Korea.
When asked which two teams could reach the final, Musa added: “My two picks would be Spain and DPR Korea.
“Spain have shown strong performances throughout the tournament and have reached the semi-finals for the third time in the last four editions.
“DPR Korea have been particularly impressive defensively, scoring 13 goals and conceding none in their five matches so far. However, Italy and Colombia have also shown that they can cause problems, so both semi-finals should be competitive.”
Also speaking to DAILY POST, respected Lagos-based journalist Femi Fabunmi insisted that the Falconets lost to Colombia due to a loss of concentration and defensive blunders.
“The Falconets, after starting poorly against Spain, picked up and started to do well. They posted fantastic performances against big teams like China and Colombia and posted a record-breaking 10-1 scoreline against New Caledonia.
“They might have crashed out in the quarter-final against Colombia, but they gave a good account of themselves and only lost due to a loss of concentration and defensive blunders in the last minute of additional time.
“Going forward, some of these ladies should be drafted into the senior national team as they have already proven to be valuable,” Fabunmi said.
When asked which two teams could reach the final, Fabunmi added: “I see Spain vs North Korea in the final.”