Nigeria’s under-17 women’s national team moved a step closer to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after sealing a 2-0 victory over South Africa in Ikenne, securing a commanding 5-1 aggregate win in their second-round qualifier, Soccernet.ng reports.
Harmony Chidi and Aishat Animashaun were on target for the Flamingos, who dominated both legs of the tie to advance to the third and final round, where they will face either Algeria or Botswana.
Having already secured a 3-1 win in Pretoria in the first leg, Nigeria entered the return fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium with confidence. Harmony Chidi, who netted twice in South Africa, was once again the star performer, putting the hosts ahead just before halftime.
Shakirat Moshood, who had also scored in the first leg, turned provider this time, delivering an inviting cross that Chidi met with a well-timed header to give Nigeria the lead.
Despite trailing on aggregate, the South African Bantwana showed resilience, preventing Nigeria from running away with the match in the first half.
Shortly after the restart, Nigeria doubled their advantage through Aishat Animashaun, who struck a stunning long-range effort into the top corner. The goal effectively ended any hope of a South African comeback.
The Flamingos continued to press for more, and Moshood came agonizingly close to adding a third, only to see her spectacular strike from distance crash off the crossbar.
Who’s next for Nigeria?
With the job done, Nigeria will now await the winner of the tie between Botswana and Algeria to determine their final hurdle before booking a place at the World Cup.
Botswana hold a slim 2-1 advantage from the first leg, with the return fixture set to take place later tonight.
The Flamingos, who finished third at the last U-17 Women’s World Cup, will be aiming for another strong campaign when they face their next opponent in the final round of qualifiers.
