A dramatic late goal by Flourish Sabastine secured a win for Nigeria’s Falconets over the Korea Republic at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia early Monday.
Despite a match with few clear scoring chances, the Nigerian squad capitalized on their opportunity deep into stoppage time at the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogota.
Forward Mary Lucky Mkpa could have sealed a brace, but lacked precision. The Falconets started strong, but the Koreans almost scored first around the 15-minute mark when Shukurat Oladipo intercepted a dangerous cross from the right.
In the 28th minute, Nigeria’s goalkeeper Shukurat Bakare nearly handed a goal to the South Koreans after a missed clearance, but the forward’s attempt soared over the bar.
Mkpa had a chance to score but fired just above the target after a brilliant setup from Rofiat Imuran. Just before halftime, Nigeria was fortunate when Myeyung’s free-kick from 22 yards hit the crossbar.
During the break, Sabastine and Amina Bello had their shots blocked in the box, while substitute Chiamaka Okwuchukwu missed an opportunity after a promising run on the right.
As the match seemed destined for a draw, Sabastine cut in from the right wing to score the decisive goal, striking the ball off the post and into the net. Nigeria’s next challenge is a match against three-time champions Germany on Wednesday evening, following their victory over Venezuela in the other Group D game.
