By

Eniola Olatunji

The Flaming Flamingoes of Nigeria on Friday at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja dumped the Liberia Babes U17 team 2-0 in a 6-1 goal aggregate to fly to the world cup finals in Dominican Republic from 16th October to 3rd November 2024.

Irrepressible Chidi Harmony scored a brace (two goals in a match) to seal the ticket for Nigeria and also make her goals haul to 11 in the qualifiers. Her goals in Abuja came in the 4th and 62nd minute but she alone missed two other chances.

It was a game of the defenders of both countries who saved their countries from great embarrassments. I counted seven missed goals from the Nigerian attackers who shot wide in their efforts to get self-glory making their coach, Olowookere to shout himself hoax from the touchline for poor marksmanship (shots at goal).

The Liberian girls played as if they had a goalless game in the first leg but the Nigerian defence was too much for them making Goalkeeper Ijeoma idle in goal. The Liberian girls played a beeter game than they did in the first leg in Monrovia and if kept together will be a great threat to African U20 Female Team. 

Nigerian Supporters who were impatient in the first half expecting the Flamingoes “to kill’ the Liberian girls increased their decibel in screaming “all we are saying, give us more goals” but the players played like pregnant women since they were sure of qualification forcing the Nigerian bench to make changes.

The Egyptian officials who handled the match were stout and incredible even rejecting a late goal scored by Nigeria from a slim offside position.

Nigeria will join 16 teams to contest for the grand finale, in which Spain are defending champions. To other teams are expected from Africa to join Nigeria. 

Both teams have no record of a previous meeting. The Liberian babes with no nickname trying to qualify for the world cup grand finale always drop out in the first round and this is the first time ever the team would reach the African zone final hurdle.  The team reached Round One in 2008 and 2022.

To meet the Flamingoes, Liberia lost 1-3 to Senegal on 12th May 2024 and won the return leg in Monrovia 2-0 20th May 2024. The team played three friendly matches before meeting Senegal all with Sierra Leone on 1st March 2024 when they played 1-1; on 6th March 2024 when she lost by a lone goal and on 8th March 2024 when they again played 1-1.

The Flamingoes had on 30th October 2022 played 3-3 with Germany in a world cup duel; defeated Central African Republic girls 6-0 at their backyard on 4th February 2024 and completed the routing on 9th February 2024 making 12 goals aggregate. The Flamingoes had played 1-1 with the Burkina Faso girls before the second leg which Nigeria won 6-0 in Abuja.

Nigeria is far more superior than Liberia having been to the world cup 6 times but the best achievement was a Bronze at India in 2022. Nigeria after playing 3-3 with Germany at Mumbai Navi Stadium won on penalties with Uruguay Referee Anahi Fernandez in charge. Nigeria lost the semifinal to Colombia on penalties after 0-0 and lost by the gap of the skin of the tooth 5-6.

Nigeria had represented CAF  six times out of the seven times at the FIFA U17 Female World cup in 2008; 2010; 2012; 2013; 2016 and 2022.