August 12, (THEWILL) – The Super Falconets of Nigeria started their quest for lifting the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup by defeating France 1-0 in the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, in the early hours of Friday.
The star of Christopher Danjuma’s girls was striker, Flourish Sabastine, whose goal in the 85th minute was enough to give the African powerhouse maximum points.
After 20 minutes of play, the game was temporarily stopped, owing to strong wind and torrential rain. Half an hour later, both teams resumed play, although the Les Bleuettes appeared more motivated than their Nigerian opponents.
There were chances for an opener in the first 45 minutes but no goals came. Then, in the 56th minute, Idoko had a shot denied by the France goalkeeper following some good work by Sabastine. Falconets captain Demehin had to be alert to clear the ball for a corner after the French waltzed into the Nigerian box, threatening to score.
France eventually scored but a VAR review determined that the Super Falconets’ goalkeeper Monle Oyono had been fouled before the goal and it was correctly overruled. Five minutes before time, Idoko took the opportunity of Oyono’s long ball to score the winner.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
