The Falconets turned a tense fight for a place in the knockout stage into a statement victory on Sunday, and the Nigeria Football Federation has challenged Moses Aduku’s side to carry that performance all the way to the final after their emphatic 10-1 win over New Caledonia, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria entered the final Group F game with only one point from their opening two matches after losing 2-0 to Spain and drawing 0-0 with China, leaving their place in the Round of 16 in doubt. Their failure to score in those two matches also left them with a negative goal difference.
That changed against New Caledonia as the Falconets finally found the finishing touch that had deserted them earlier in the tournament.
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Ramotalahi Kareem scored a hat-trick, while Winner Onajite David also struck three times as Nigeria scored four goals before half-time and added six more after the break.
The 10-1 victory was Nigeria’s biggest win in the history of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, surpassing the 8-0 defeat of Finland in 2006. It also lifted the Falconets to second place in Group F on four points and secured another knockout-stage appearance for a team that has reached every edition of the competition since 2002.
Ikpeme wants more from Falconets
The result has raised expectations within the Nigerian football family, with NFF Acting General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme praising the response from the players while challenging them to aim for the biggest prize.
“The Presidency through the National Sports Commission, the NFF and Nigerian Football stakeholders, and I believe all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, are very proud of the outing of the Falconets against New Caledonia,” Ikpeme said, according to the NFF statement.
“They showed the true Nigeria spirit and overcame the odds when it mattered most.
“The result has taken them to the Round of 16, and we believe the team can only get better. I charge them to sustain the win-mentality and go all the way.”
That demand will now face its first serious test against England in the Round of 16 on Thursday.
The Falconets have finished runners-up at the World Cup twice, in 2010 and 2014, but have never won the competition. Their 10-1 victory has restored the belief around the team, but England will offer a much tougher examination of whether Aduku’s side can turn Sunday’s attacking display into a genuine title run.
