U17 WWC Nigeria 0-1 France: Man City's Super Falcons-eligible forward helps France beat Flamingos

Nigeria's U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against France in their second group match of the ongoing 2025 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Rabat on Wednesday night.

Manchester City's Nigeria-eligible striker Rachael Adedini, touted as one of the tournament's brightest prospects, began the match for the Europeans before making way for Camille Marmillot at the break.

Bankole Olowookere's side produced a much-improved display compared to their opening 4-1 loss to Canada, holding the Europeans for most of the encounter before Maïssa Fathallah struck in the 81st minute to seal victory for France.

The Flamingos started brightly, showing better organization and pressing higher up the pitch. 

The defense and goalkeeper stood firm against sustained French attacks, while the forwards tested the French goalkeeper with Nigeria's best effort midway through the first half.

Despite their resilience, the Nigerian girls were undone late in the game when Fathallah capitalized on a defensive lapse to slot home the winner. 

The result leaves Nigeria bottom of their group with no points from two matches, putting their qualification hopes in serious jeopardy.

Olowookere will now look to rally his players for a must-win encounter against Samoa on Saturday, October 25, where a convincing victory could still see them advance to the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams.

Wale Adejumo

Photo credit: Super Falcons Show

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