Categories: Sports

Gallant Falconets Bow Out of World Cup with 2-0 Loss to Netherlands

A litany of factors, including poor finishing, hard luck and dodgy officiating by Costa Rican official Marianela Araya saw the Nigeria U20 girls bow out of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup with a two-goal defeat by The Netherlands in their quarter-final match in Alajuela.

Flourish Sabastine, who scored Nigeria’s three-point winner against France in the opening match of Group C, was cynically stopped in the Dutch’s box in the 7th minute, but just as she did all night, Araya looked away unimpressed.

Four minutes later, the Dutch were ahead, when Zera Hulswit rammed a perfect dipping shot beyond Omini Oyono as the conquerors of USA pulled away on the counter-attack.

In the 15th minute, Sabastine again pulled away and let fly, but the ball was tipped away by impressive goal-tender Claire Dinkla.

On the half-hour, Nigeria nearly got the leveller that their endeavour deserved when Deborah Abiodun seized the ball as the Dutch defence fell into confusion, but her own dipping shot from 25 metres rocked the crossbar and was then tipped away from the head of Chiamaka Okwuchukwu.

Only three minutes later, the deficit doubled against Nigeria, when the Dutch broke through the right once more, and with captain Oluwatosin Demehin and Omowumi Oshobukola in a fumble, Ziva Henry bundled the ball past Oyono.

Substitute Joy Jerry came close to pulling one back when her head met the ball from Rofiat Imuran’s cross in the 62nd minute, but the ball floated away.

Sabastine, forever unstoppable, was hacked severally in the Dutch penalty area as she darted in whenever she had the ball, but Araya saw no reason to award a penalty kick to Nigeria.

In the second minute of added time, a Dutch defender handled the ball in the box as Nigeria poured forward. But after consulting the Video Assistant Referee, Araya overturned her own decision to award a penalty kick.

Defeat meant elimination for a team that had won all three group phase matches, scoring five goals and conceding only one.

Follow us on:

AriseNews

Recent Posts

CAC Removes Innoson, Daitama, 80,000 Dormant Companies From Register For Ignoring Annual Return Deadlines

The CAC has removed dormant companies that failed to file annual reports for 10 years…

8 hours ago

NEC Gives Kwara, Kebbi, Adamawa One Week To Submit State Police Reports

NEC has set a one-week deadline for Kwara, Kebbi, and Adamawa to submit state police…

10 hours ago

Amazon Faces Potential EU Investigation Over Preferential Treatment Of Own Products

Amazon may face an EU investigation over preferential treatment of its own products under the…

10 hours ago

Akpabio Hails Igbo Resilience + Ndume Begs Senate To Allow Ubah’s Widow Succeed Him – Trending With Ojy Okpe

https://cdn.veri.app/a21afe40-c7c7-4a5c-b145-4fc72382ab4b.mp4 Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during the night of tribute, held in honour of the…

10 hours ago

Kano Governor Yusuf Reunites 76 Pardoned Minors To Families

The Kano State government has reunited 79 pardoned minors accused of looting in the #End…

10 hours ago

Matt Gaetz Steps Down as Trump’s Attorney General Pick

Matt Gaetz has announced that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as Donald Trump’s…

10 hours ago