Nigeria’s Falconets couldn’t continue with their winning streak at the ongoing 2024 Women’s under-20 FIFA World Cup in Colombia as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Germany on Thursday morning, September 5.
After beating Korean Republic 1-0 in their first group stage match at the World Cup, they were expected to grab at least a draw against Germany, who they have never beaten in their history. Unfortunately, they couldn’t do enough against the German girls.
This loss marked the sixth consecutive meeting at this level in which the Falconets were unable to secure a victory against the European team.
The match saw the Germans taking control in the early stages and they capitalized on the pressure by taking the lead in the 17th minute through Alara Sehitler. Despite Nigeria’s recovery from the initial setback, they were unable to convert their chances into goals in the first half.
However, Coach Chris Danjuma’s side showed resilience and managed to equalize five minutes into the second half, courtesy of a goal from Chiamaka Okwuchukwu. Unfortunately, Germany regained the lead with Sofie Zdebel finding the back of the net 11 minutes later.
The match ended with a third goal in stoppage time as substitute Sarah Ernst sealed the victory for Germany. The Falconets will now face Venezuela in their final group stage match at the Estadio Olympico Pascual Guerrero in Cali on Sunday.
