In a decisive quarter-final match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup at the CFC Stadium, Santiago de los Caballeros, on Saturday, October 26, 2024, the United States defeated Nigeria 2-0, ending the Flamingos' hopes for the title.
Katharine Fuller scored from the penalty spot just before halftime, and Kimball Ascanio sealed the victory with a goal in the 74th minute.
Despite Nigeria's strong group stage performance, including three wins, they couldn't shift momentum after early substitutions.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s impressive run in the tournament, where they had won all their group matches against New Zealand, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, scoring nine goals and conceding just one.
As a matter of fact, the result marked a bitter end to Nigeria’s campaign, as they entered the match with high hopes of replicating their 2022 triumph over the same opponents, where they won via penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time.
The Flamingos, who achieved their best-ever finish of third place in India in 2022, aimed to surpass that record but faced a determined American side eager to reach their first semi-final since 2008.
The defeat also halted Nigeria’s impressive streak in this year’s tournament, where they maintained a perfect record in the group stage for the third time in their history (2010, 2014, 2024).
The USA on the other hand, now progress to the semi-finals, marking their first appearance in the last four since 2008, when they finished as runners-up in the tournament’s inaugural edition.
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