2024 Fifa U17 Women's World Cup: Five takeaways from Flamingos commanding win against La Tricolor

Nigeria showcased their remarkable form at the 2024 FIFA U17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic, defeating Ecuador 4-0 on Saturday evening.

Shakirat Moshood opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a penalty, awarded after a VAR review confirmed that captain Taiwo Afolabi had been fouled in the box.

Harmony Chidi then extended Nigeria's lead, breaking her scoring drought in the tournament with a well-placed finish from a brilliant assist by Peace Effiong in the 54th minute.

Just twelve minutes later, Peace Effiong herself found the net, taking advantage of defensive mistakes from the Ecuadorian side to secure the third goal.

In the 96th minute, Shakirat Moshood scored her brace and Nigeria's fourth of the match.

Allnigeriasoccer.com presents five observations from the game.

Shakirat Moshood Shines Again

The young midfielder maintained her impressive performance at the tournament, after her contribution against Ecuador.

Shakirat delivered an outstanding display in Nigeria's opening game against New Zealand, where she scored in their 4-1 victory.

She continued to make significant contributions to the team's success against Ecuador, netting two goals in Nigeria's commanding 4-0 win.

Need for Improved Passing Skills

While Nigeria's early performances in the tournament have been commendable, there is a need for improvement in their passing game to enhance coordination and effectiveness on the field.

Coach Bankole Olowookere has done exceptionally well in preparing the team both tactically and physically, but finding a system to refine their passing will be crucial as they face tougher opponents in the knockout rounds.

Jaslym Valverde Struggles Against Nigeria

Ecuador's Jaslym Valverde was unable to make an impact in the attack against Nigeria.

Despite her strong physical presence, the striker was effectively contained by the Nigerian defensive duo of Hannah Ibrahim and Jumai Adebayo, leading to her substitution for Domenica Arboleda at halftime.

Harmony Chidi Finds Her Form

Flamingos striker Harmony Chidi finally scored her first goal of the tournament against Ecuador.

After netting 12 goals during the qualifying phase, she had struggled to find the back of the net in the previous match against New Zealand, despite her team's dominant performance.

However, she silenced any doubts by scoring in the second half against Ecuador, marking a return to form.

Questionable Refereeing Decisions from Frida Klarlund

Klarlund Frida, the appointed centre referee for the match, had a decent performance overall but made some questionable decisions in the first half against Nigeria.

Prior to the opening goal, the Flamingos had multiple penalty appeals denied, despite protests and replays suggesting that a penalty could have been warranted.

Adeyemi Adewale

Photo Credit: The Super Falcons Show

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