A sensational hat-trick from Harmony Chidi propelled Nigeria’s U17 women’s to a 3-2 victory over Cote d’Ivoire on Monday.
Harmony Chidi led the pack for the Flamingos as they secure top spot in Group B of the inaugural WAFU B U17 Girls’ Cup in Accra.
Chidi, who had already made waves in 2024 by scoring 13 goals during Nigeria’s dominant run to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic.
The match, which took place at the Ghana Centre of Excellence in Prampram, saw Chidi take control of the game with three clinical finishes, ensuring Nigeria finished their group campaign with a perfect six points.
With a comprehensive 9-0 victory over Niger Republic earlier in the week, the Flamingos topped Group B with 12 goals scored and only two conceded.
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Chidi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a well-placed shot, and then doubled her tally shortly after halftime with a composed finish in the 50th minute.
Her hat-trick was completed in the 70th minute, sealing Nigeria’s dominance in the group stage.
WATCH GOALS: Nigeria Flamingos 3 VS 2 Côte d’Ivoire U17
2024 WAFU Zone B U17 Girls Cup (Ghana 2024)
Goal scorer for Nigeria
⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ Chidi Harmony#SoarFlamingos #WAFUBU17GirlsCup pic.twitter.com/xlMZL2Fvaf— Dr. Victor Ademola (@AdemolaVictorTv) December 16, 2024
Despite a valiant effort from Cote d’Ivoire, the Ivorians could not prevent the Flamingos from claiming all three points.
The young Ivorians had their moments, with Esther Kwame scoring a stunning long-range shot in the 56th minute to briefly pull one back for Cote d’Ivoire.
Five minutes later, Guasam converted from the penalty spot after a foul on her by Nigerian defender Rokibat Azeez, narrowing the score to 3-2.
Nigeria’s impressive goal-scoring form in the tournament so far has placed them in a strong position as they advance to the semi-finals, where they will face Benin Republic.
Cote d’Ivoire, who finished second in Group B with three points, will take on Ghana in the first semi-final on Thursday.
