2025 Fifa U17 Women's World Cup: Five takeaways from Flamingos' loss to 2012 champions

Nigeria suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to 2012 champions France in their second group game at the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup on Wednesday night.

Maissa Fathallah netted the decisive goal in the final nine minutes of the tightly contested encounter, handing France all three points.

Allnigeriasoccer.com presents five observations from the match.

No changes to the team

Nigeria began their 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup campaign with a disappointing 4-1 loss to Canada on Sunday night.

Despite the setback, Coach Bankole Olowookere opted to stick with the same lineup that featured in the opening game.

The Flamingos boss showed faith in his players, maintaining his trust in the squad despite their late collapse against Canada.

Boniface howler gifts France opener

France broke the deadlock in the closing minutes of the game through Maissa Fathallah's composed finish.

The French forward fired a low shot inside the box that slipped past goalkeeper Boniface, who should have done better to keep it out.

The error handed France a crucial lead at a decisive moment in the match.

Referee makes right decisions after VAR review

The referee was called to the monitor on three occasions during the second half of the encounter.

The first review came after France appealed for a possible red card against Raji following a strong tackle.

After checking the footage, the referee ruled that the challenge did not warrant a sending-off, allowing Raji to continue.

Nigeria later made two late appeals for a penalty in a bid to rescue a point, but after careful VAR reviews, the referee upheld his initial decisions and denied both penalty claims.

Shuaib long throws cause France troubles

Flamingos fullback Shuaib troubled France throughout the game with her long throws, which proved to be a key attacking weapon for Nigeria.

The team repeatedly relied on her throw-ins to create scoring opportunities and put pressure on the French defense.

However, despite the constant threat, France showed great resilience and used their aerial strength to clear their lines effectively, ultimately preserving a clean sheet.

France advance but Nigeria's hopes hang

France sealed their place in the knockout stage of the tournament with a narrow victory over Nigeria.

Despite the defeat, the Flamingos still have a chance to progress, depending on the outcome of their final group match.

Nigeria must defeat Samoa and hope to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams to keep their World Cup campaign alive.

Adeyemi Adewale

Photo credit: Super Falcons Show

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