- Nigeria Falconets have been knocked out of the U-20 World Cup after a 2-1 loss to Japan
- The energetic Falconets were unable to convert late chances except for Olushola Shobowale's stoppage-time goal which wasn't enough to save Nigeria
- Japan will now face Spain in the quarter-finals
Nigeria's hopes of advancing in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup were dashed in a dramatic 2-1 loss to Japan in the round of 16 on Friday morning, September 13 in Colombia.
Despite a late push, a composed goal from Olushola Shobowale in stoppage time wasn’t enough to prevent the Falconets from crashing out of the competition at the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogota.
Two goals from Miyu Matsunaga and Maya Hijikata were enough to send Japan through to the quarter-finals, leaving Nigeria to rue missed opportunities.
Maya Hijikata’s early threat nearly bore fruit in the 13th minute when Nigeria’s goalkeeper Faith Omilana misjudged a cross, but Comfort Folorunsho's quick reaction saved the Falconets from conceding. Japan’s persistence paid off in the 33rd minute when Matsunaga headed in a precise cross from Rihona Ujihara, giving the East Asians a deserved lead.
Just before half-time, Nigeria almost equalised through a dangerous curve from Rofiat Imuran, but Hijikata was there to clear it off the line.
The Japanese star doubled her side’s advantage in the 66th minute after a cross from Chinari Sasai found her in space, allowing her to drive the ball into the net. Although goalkeeper Omilana made some crucial saves later on, the damage had already been done.
Shobowale’s late goal, assisted by Goodness Osigwe, gave Nigeria a glimmer of hope, but time ran out for the Falconets.
Taking it back to how the young Nigerian female team started, the Falconets had earlier defeated Korea Republic 1-0 in their first group fixture but lost 3-1 to their German counterparts who went ahead to top the group with 6 points, nonetheless, the Falconets wore back their winning boots and defeated Venezuela in a convincing 4-0 win in their final group d match.
Commenting on the win, Japanese forward Sasai attributed the victory to teamwork and noted that they had studied Nigeria's tactics.
“We knew that Nigeria was physically stronger and faster than us, but everyone was able to stay focused and score the first goal, and then the second. I’m very happy because this is a victory we won together as a team.”
Japan now progresses to face Spain in what will look like a re-match of the last edition in Costa Rica two years ago.
Paris Olympic 2024: Super Falcons defender Ebi discusses being left out of squad
Previously, TheRadar reported that Nigeria’s Olympic journey, though filled with many ups and downs and a rollercoaster of emotions for athletes and fans, has not failed to thrill netizens with different episodes of ‘drama.’
One of the most talked-about stories involves Super Falcons defender Onome Ebi, who recently took to social media to address her exclusion from Nigeria’s Paris 2024 Olympic squad.
