Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh has praised the country’s U-17 Women’s team for their 4-1 win over New Zealand in their first match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Flamingos began their campaign with an impressive performance to brush aside New Zealand on Wednesday night.
Nigeria’s Shakirat Moshood scored one of the competition’s fastest goals since it was launched 16 years ago, with the first goal after only 80 seconds at the CFC Stadium.
Taiwo Adegoke’s shot from outside the box was misjudged by the goalkeeper, who palmed the ball over the line to give Nigeria a 2-0 lead in the 13th minute.
Abdulwahab, and Taiwo Afolabi added two more goals for the Flamingos before Saxon scored a consolation goal for New Zealand in the second half.
The minister is delighted that the Flamingos have started on a winning note and has urged them not to lose focus.
He said, “The Flamingos have made Nigeria proud with this fantastic victory. Their exceptional play reflects the immense talent and potential of our young female athletes.
“This victory is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the team’s preparation. It is essential that we continue to support and invest in women’s sports to foster their growth and success.
The minister urged Nigerians to support the team in their quest to win the competition for the first time in the history of Nigeria.
He said, “Let us come together as a nation to support our girls as they pursue victory and represent Nigeria on the global stage.”
Flamingos coach, Bankole Olowookere was delighted with the team’s performance in their first match.
He said, “It’s a good first game for us. We are taking them as they come, so a good game for us, scoring four goals and only conceding one, so not bad for our first game.”
In the other Group A encounter, Ecuador defeated the host country, Dominican Republic 2-0.
The Flamingos will be back in action against Ecuador on Saturday night at the Cibao Stadium.