Sunday, November 10, 2024

Ethiopia & Senegal: World Cup Qualification hanging by a thread

Ghana boosted their chances of clinching one of the tickets to the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, Costa Rica 2022 after they claimed a 3-0 win over Ethiopia in the first leg of the final round on Sunday.
A brace from Salamatu Abdulai and Cecilia Nyama’s strike in the first half was all the Black Princesses needed to silence the Ethiopians in front of the home fans at Abebe Bikila Stadium and took a giant step towards securing their qualification ticket.
It took only sixteen minutes for the visitors to wrap up the game. The breakthrough came at the 29th minute when Abdulai’s brilliant strike gave them the vital lead. Abdulai went on to double the advantage with her second of the match in the 38th minute before Nyama struck to complete the triumph just a minute from the half time break.
After a clinical first-leg triumph in Addis, the Princesses will focus on guaranteeing their qualification when they host the Ethiopians, during the reverse fixture in Cape Coast in two weeks.
Thanks to three goals from striker Flourish Sabastine this Saturday in the first leg of the last qualifying round for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup played at the Lat Dior stadium, the Nigerian team took a huge step closer to qualification at the expense of Senegal.
Upon receiving a through pass poorly negotiated by the Senegalese defense, hattrick hero Sebastian slipped the ball into the net for the first goal of the match for the visitors. Sebastian netted the second at the 56th minute off Mercy Idoko’s cross. Once again the hunter at her best hit her hattrick in the 62nd minute on a penalty after a Nigerian was brought down by Captain Marere Babou in the Senegalese defense.
With a huge first-leg lead in Thies, the Falconets will return home to welcome the Senegalese for the decisive second leg at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on March 26.

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