MARGAO: Nigeria were swift, relentless but maybe not ruthless enough against New Zealand in a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Group B match at the PJN Stadium at Fatorda on Friday.
Still, a 4-0 win accrued to the Flamingos who led 2-0 at half-time, a scoreline that could have been doubled had their strikers put away a hatful of opportunities.
Amina Bello (16’), Miracle Usani (34’), Taiwo Afolabi (75’) and Edidiong Etim (90’+5’) were on target for the fleet-footed Nigerians.
Nigeria, who lost their opener to Germany in a taut encounter, had the measure of New Zealand. Two errors in defence, one by goalkeeper Aimee Feinberg-Danieli who otherwise had a good game, deflated the team from the antipodes.
Emily Clegg, their standout player in the first match against Chile which the Kiwis lost 1-3, was expectedly closely marked. But it was the one-on-one skills and speed of the Africans that won the day with plenty to spare.
Bello drew first blood, nodding home from a corner by captain Manaia Elliot, punishing faltering uncertainty in the New Zealand defence.
It was 2-0 in the 34th minute when Fienberg-Danieli misjudged the path of Miracle Usani’s long-range attempt.
A third goal all but arrived when Bello struck the bar and New Zealand enjoyed another reprieve when Ajakaye failed to control the ball after beating the advancing goalkeeper on the dot of halftime.
The spate of missed chances continued for Nigeria. Ajayake agonised again after shooting over with the goalkeeper at her mercy. Bello did likewise but Afolabi made sure that the missed chances wouldn’t come back to haunt her side when found the net from Bello’s square pass to make it 3-0, the goal passing the VAR test.
New Zealand had a rare couple of moments in the Nigerian area for a consolation goal but Etim’s clinical strike from distance gave the scoreline an imposing look.
