WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Sweden hold off Japan fightback to reach Women’s World Cup semis
Sweden held off a late Japan fightback to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup for the fifth time with a 2-1 win at Eden Park on Friday, leaving the tournament without a former winner in the last four.
Five days after ousting four-time champions the United States in the last 16, the Swedes dominated the 2011 title winners for most of the evening to set up a semi-final against Spain at the same stadium on Tuesday.
Defender Amanda Ilestedt gave Sweden the lead with her fourth goal of the tournament in the 32nd minute with Filippa Angeldal adding the second from the penalty spot just after the break.
Japan never gave up the fight but Riko Ueki missed a 76th-minute penalty and her fellow substitute Honoka Hayashi’s goal 11 minutes later proved too little, too late as Sweden held firm under immense stoppage-time pressure to progress.
“It’s wonderful, obviously,” Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson told Swedish radio.
“The game had everything. In terms of performance, we had our best of the tournament. It got very exciting, Japan are one of the best teams in the tournament …”
The Swedes, charged with confidence after dethroning the reigning champion Americans on Sunday, tore into their opponents from the start, swamping the midfield and clearly rattling Japan.
Stina Blackstenius should have put them ahead in the 25th minute when she got in front of Japan’s defensive rock Saki Kumagai only to poke her shot wide from point-blank range.
SWEDEN STRIKE
Japan responded with their best attacks of the game but Sweden took the lead from a free kick just after the half-hour mark.
The Nadeshiko were unable to clear their lines as the ball pinged around the box and centre half Ilestedt buried it into the net with the fifth Swedish shot in the sequence.
It was only the second goal Japan had conceded in New Zealand and the first time they had been behind but they were unable to break the stranglehold the Swedes had on them.
Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani almost doubled the lead just before the break but was denied by a combination of the fingertips of Japan goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita and the post.
Yamashita was quickly in action again at the start of the second half to tip away a Johanna Kaneryd shot but Fuka Nagano handled the ball from the ensuing corner and Angeldal made no mistake from the penalty spot.
Japan looked a pale imitation of the side that had romped in the quarter-finals and got their first attempt on goal in the 63rd minute.
They stuck to their task, however, and had a chance to cut the deficit when Ueki was bowled over in the penalty box by Madelen Janogy in the 75th minute.
The striker took the spot kick herself but was only able to clang the ball against the woodwork with her follow-up header going well over the bar.
Teenager Aoba Fujino smacked a free kick against the bar with little more than three minutes on the clock and Hayashi lashed the ball into the net from Japan’s next attacking move to set up a frenetic final 13 minutes but the Swedes held on.
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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