Goals from Uchenna Kanu, Rasheedat Ajibade and Aminat Yakubu were all the Flamingoes needed to ease past the Mexicans in the one-sided encounter played at the Estadio Nacional in San Jose on Monday morning.
The two sides went into the contest effectively battling to win the group after both securing a last eight place after their first two games.
Nigeria were immediately out of the blocks in impressive fashion taking a dominant 2-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes.
Ajibade opened scoring with a cool finish off a loose ball in the 12th minute after Mexican goalkeeper Emily Alvarado could only parry a low cross into her path.
The lead was soon doubled four minutes later through Kanu. She nodded in a cross from Yakubu who reacted quickest to a loose ball in the penalty area of the Mexicans.
However, Mexico almost pulled a goal back as Jacqueline Crowther struck the post with a rasping effort after Nigeria goalkeeper had been caught out of position.
Woman of the match Yakubu got the third and final goal for Nikyu’s side in the 58th minute after heading home a well tailored cross from Kanu on the right hand side of the north Americans’ backline.
Nigeria will play Spain in the quarter final of the competition billed for Friday March 28 at the Estadio Edgardo Baltodano Briceno in Liberia.
The Spaniards trounced Paraguay 7-1 in their last group game with Falcon Andrea and Garcia Nahikari getting a brace.
The Flamingoes have never gone past the quarter and will hope that this is the year they break the glass ceiling.
No comments:
Post a Comment