History was made as the Dominican Republic vs Nigeria FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup game drew the largest ever crowd to watch a game in the country.
The match in Santo Domingo set a new attendance record for a Dominican national football game, drawing a crowd of 13,535 fans.
The Flamingos, Nigeria’s U17 women’s football team, have secured a spot in the knockout stages of the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. They will now face the USA in a highly anticipated quarterfinal rematch on Saturday.
The Nigerian team, led by Coach Bankole Olowookere, sealed their qualification with a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Dominican Republic in their final group game on Wednesday morning. Shakirat Moshood’s stunning 89th-minute goal from 24 yards out gave the Flamingos a vital three points.
The victory put Nigeria three points ahead of Ecuador, who finished with six points after beating New Zealand 4-0. With this win, Nigeria has earned the chance to renew their rivalry with the USA, who are one of the tournament’s strongest teams.
During the match against the Dominican Republic, Coach Olowookere made changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Rokibat Azeez, Blessing Ifitezue, and Ramotalahi Kareem to replace Onyedikachi Ekezie, Peace Effiong, and Harmony Chidi.
The Flamingos now look forward to Saturday’s quarterfinal clash against the USA, hoping to build on their strong performance and keep their World Cup dreams alive.