Flamingos thrash CAR 6-0 to reach third round of World Cup qualifiers

The Flamingos of Nigeria have booked a place in the third round of qualifiers for the 2024 U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The team achieved the feat after ruthlessly putting half a dozen goals past the Central African Republic (CAR) at the Moshood Abiola stadium, Abuja, on Friday.

The Flamingos had defeated their opponents by the same scoreline in the first leg of the encounter on February 4. They advanced to the next round with a 12-0 aggregate victory.

In the return leg, Nigeria scored three times in the first half to continue their dominance from the previous match before adding another triplet of goals in the second period.

Harmony Chidi got a hattrick, and Kareem Ramota scored a brace while Ojiyovwi Tessy also helped herself to a goal.

Chidi, who scored two goals in the first leg, got the contest up and running with the early lead in the second minute. She doubled Nigeria’s advantage with a long-range effort in the 14th minute before Tessy scored the third through a goalmouth scramble.

Immediately after the start of the second half, Ramota added the fourth for Nigeria with a delicate lob over the goalkeeper. She dribbled the goalkeeper and passed the ball into an empty net to score the fifth goal in the 85th minute.

Chidi got her third goal of the game in the 90th minute to complete the onslaught.

The Flamingos will play the winners of the Burkina Faso and Guinea match in the third round of the qualifiers.

The 2024 U-17 Women’s World Cup is billed to be held in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3.

The Flamingos won bronze at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India.