2024 FIFA U-WWC: How Japan’s Nadeshiko edged Falconets out of race

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist

Nigeria’s youth women’s national team, the Falconets have been kicked out of the  ongoing 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia after a 1-2 loss to the Nadeshiko of Japan early Friday at Estadio Metropolitano de Tech in Bogota.

By this defeat by Japan, Nigeria’s dream to win the coveted trophy after participating in every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and finishing runners-up twice by losing to Germany on both occasions, in 2010 and 2014, has evaporated like  the early morning dews.

Two goals in each half of the game scored by Miyu Matsunaga who converted a ball by Rihona Ujihara in the 33rd minute and another by Maya Hijikata in the 65th minute ensured Japan won the contest despite Nigeria’s late goal scored by Olushola Shobowale in the 91st minute just three minutes after she came on the pitch.

The Falconets came into the clash with a loss to Germany and two victories against the Korea Republic and Venezuela to reach the knockout stage while

Japan on the other hand beat Austria, thrashed Ghana and trounced New Zealand in style to top their group.

It was always going to be a difficult challenge for Christopher Danjuma Musa and his Falconets to advance in the competition ahead of Nadeshikos and it showed. In a first half with very little chances, it was Japan that struck through forward Matsunaga.That would be the only goal of the first half as Japan went to the break with a narrow lead.

In the second half, Japan took control of the game and doubled their advantage with a second goal by Hijikata thus the Falconets then began to press but were only able

to pull one back in added time when Shobowale converted a  through ball  by Goodness Osigwe.

However, it was too late as the Falconets could not grab a second goal to send the game to extra time as Nigeria’s journey at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup came to an end after the 1-2 loss to the Nadeshiko of Japan.

The Japanese who held on to the end thus booked a quarter-final clash with Spain while the Falconets are out of the tournament.

Also, coach Danjuma’s team crashed out at the quarter-final stage as they did in the past two editions of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in France 2018 and Costa Rica in 2022 respectively.

Prompt News has earlier reported in the preview of the match the encounter with Nadeshiko of Japan that Danjuma’s Falconets have always crashed out of the competition in the quarter-final stage and he did not disappoint despite the array of rising stars in the current Falconets squad.