WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Five-star Spain cruise into World Cup knockouts with thumping win over Zambia
Spain underlined their credentials as pre-tournament favourites when they became one of the first teams to seal qualification for the Women’s World Cup knockouts with a 5-0 win over Zambia in their second Group C encounter on Wednesday.
Teresa Abelleira opened the scoring while Jennifer Hermoso and Alba Redondo scored twice to give Spain their second victory, which also assured Japan of last-16 qualification after they beat Costa Rica 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.
Both Spain and Japan have six points and will play each other on Monday for top spot in the group while Zambia and Costa Rica – both eliminated – will play for third.
Spain were given a boost ahead of the game when coach Jorge Vilda named midfielder Alexia Putellas in the starting lineup and the twice Ballon d’Or winner, having fully recovered from injury, was actively involved in buildup play from the start.
Abelleira settled any opening nerves with the fastest goal of the tournament when she picked up the ball after an intricate passing move in the ninth minute and fired a shot from long range that rocketed into the top corner.
Four minutes later, Hermoso marked her 100th appearance for Spain with an easy header at the far post after Zambia failed to defend a cross from Putellas.
Vilda substituted Putellas, Ona Batlle and Salma Paralluelo at halftime but Spain continued to dominate.
Zambia goalkeeper Eunice Sakala, in the team after Catherine Musonda was sent off in their group opener, made several saves but she was left stranded when Redondo was put through on goal as the forward rounded the 21-year-old keeper to make it 3-0.
VAR CONFUSION
Hermoso then grabbed her second — and 50th for Spain — when she pounced on a rebound off the post to fire home, a goal awarded after a VAR review and following some confusion over the referee’s initial announcement that it was ruled out for offside.
“No goal! No offside,” referee Jeong Oh-Hyeon said before correcting herself as a bewildered Spain looked on before realising it had been awarded.
Redondo then beat the offside trap late in the game to score Spain’s fifth, also awarded after a VAR review when the assistant referee flagged for offside.
Zambia had their chances on the counter-attack but failed to test Misa Rodriguez in Spain’s goal with a number of wayward shots.
“Spain are very experienced… we are just developing, we still need more experience,” Zambia skipper Barbra Banda said.
“When you create chances, definitely you have to score. Unfortunately we didn’t find any goal.”
Sakala had the final say, however, when she made a string of saves to deny both Hermoso and Redondo from claiming hat-tricks.
“Today’s game, we actually played much better than we did the first game,” Zambia coach Bruce Mwape said.
“Spain has got a lot of experience and they’ve played well starting from the first whistle up to the final (whistle).
“I’m sure we have learned one or two things from this team. We will try and do our best in the last game (against Costa Rica).”
-Reuters
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Flamingos Set for Morocco 2025 as Nigeria’s U-17s Depart Abuja for Final World Cup Preparations
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, will depart Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday, October 8, as they begin the final leg of preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup scheduled to take place in Morocco.
The team will travel aboard Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca, Morocco’s industrial and economic hub, where they will set up camp ahead of the tournament.
During their stay in Casablanca, the Flamingos will step up their build-up programme with two high-profile international friendlies — first against New Zealand on October 10, and then Paraguay on October 14.
Following their training camp, the team will move into the official FIFA hotel in Rabat on October 15, joining other participating nations as the countdown begins to the global showpiece.
Drawn in Group D, Nigeria will face Canada, France, and Samoa in what promises to be a competitive group. The Flamingos will begin their campaign against Canada on Sunday, October 19, before locking horns with France three days later.
Both matches will be played at the Football Academy Mohammed VI in Sale, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. Nigerian time. Their final group match comes against Samoa on October 25, starting at 5 p.m., also in Sale.
Head Coach Bankole Olowookere’s side heads into the tournament brimming with confidence after a remarkable build-up.
The Flamingos have played 10 tune-up games, scoring an impressive 44 goals without conceding any, a record that highlights their attacking prowess and defensive discipline.
Olowookere has expressed optimism about his team’s readiness, noting that the squad’s balance and form give them belief they can surpass their quarter-final finish at the last edition in the Dominican Republic.
With a perfect preparation run and growing momentum, the Flamingos will be aiming to make history in Morocco and bring pride to Nigerian women’s football once again.
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Nigeria’s U17 Women’s National Team, the Flamingos, are rounding off their preparations for the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco with a string of dominant performances that underscore their growing confidence and team chemistry.
In a remarkable build-up campaign, the Flamingos have played eight friendly matches in Abuja, winning all and maintaining a perfect defensive record. The team has scored 26 goals without conceding, a run that has lifted morale and heightened expectations ahead of their World Cup challenge.
Last week, the team showcased their attacking prowess with a convincing 3–0 victory over Abuja All-Stars.
Praise Agba opened the scoring from a loose ball, Olamide Olanrewaju doubled the lead from the penalty spot, and Zainab Raji sealed the win with a thunderous strike shortly after the restart. Goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu was outstanding between the sticks, producing several key saves to preserve another clean sheet.
Earlier, the Flamingos overcame a rain-disrupted clash against Josiah Academy, running out 2–0 winners courtesy of a Chisom Nwachukwu brace within the opening 10 minutes before the downpour forced an early end to proceedings.
The girls also recorded emphatic wins over Nazareth Angels (5–0), with Queen Joseph bagging a brace and goals from Praise Agba, Mariam Yahaya, and Chisom Nwachukwu; and Horvel Prime (5–0), where Joseph netted a first-half hat-trick, while captain Shakirat Moshood and Azeezat Oduntan added one apiece.
Across all their tune-up matches, the Flamingos have demonstrated an impressive balance — clinical in attack, disciplined in midfield, and solid at the back — as they fine-tune for global competition.
Drawn in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa, Nigeria will depart for Morocco on October 8, aiming to carry their perfect form into the tournament, which runs from October 17 to November 8.
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Nigeria’s U20 women’s team, the Falconets, continued the country’s dominance over Rwanda on the international football stage by securing a 1–0 victory in Kigali on Sunday in the first leg of their 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup second-round qualifier.
The narrow win comes against the backdrop of two recent triumphs by the Super Eagles over Rwanda in the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying series, underlining Nigeria’s growing hold in encounters with the East Africans.
At the Kigali-Pele Stadium in Nyamirambo, both sides battled fiercely in a goalless first half, with chances at a premium. The breakthrough arrived in the 70th minute when Alaba Olabiyi bundled the ball home from a goalmouth scramble after a Falconets corner. The strike proved enough to hand Coach Moses Aduku a winning start in his first competitive game in charge of the team.
With the victory, the Falconets carry a slim but valuable advantage into the return leg at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Saturday, where they will be backed by home support as they push for a place in the next round of qualifiers.
The team’s delegation is expected back in Nigeria on Monday morning to begin preparations for the decisive clash.
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