Flamingos on verge of World Cup qualification as Liberia clash looms

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Nigeria’s U-17 Women’s team, the Flamingos, are on the cusp of booking their place at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Dominica as they face Liberia in the second leg of their qualifying tie tomorrow at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

The Flamingos hold a commanding 4-1 lead from the first leg played last week. Abidemi Moshood, Peace Effiong, Harmony Chidi, and Blessing Ifitezue all found the net for Nigeria, with Liberia only managing a consolation penalty.

Victory on Friday would secure their place in the World Cup finals. The young team will be looking to avoid complacency and finish the job against a Liberian side desperate to overturn the deficit.

Nigeria has missed only one edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals to date—the 2018 edition in Uruguay, for which Cameroon’s Baby Lionesses edged the Flamingos on the away-goal rule in the final round.

Saturday’s encounter, which is scheduled for 4 pm, will have Egyptian official Shahenda El-Maghrabi as the referee, with her compatriots May Ali Hassan, Gamalat Ahmed Shebli, and Noura Samir El-Sayed as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2, and fourth official, respectively.

Christine Ziga from Ghana will be the commissioner, while Tesfanesh Woreta Hailu from Ethiopia will serve as the referee assessor.

The 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals will be staged in Santiago de los Caballeros and Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, from 16 October to 3 November.