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- Nigeria's Flamingos crashed out of the ongoing FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
- The Flamingoes suffered a comprehensive 4-0 defeat to a clinical Italy side that extended their perfect tournament run.
The Flamingos of Nigeria, have had their run at the 2025 edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup come to an emphatic halt on Tuesday night, as they were dismantled 4-0 by an unyielding Italian team in the Round of 16.
Italy's victory cemented their status as a tournament favourite, maintaining a flawless record of four wins from four matches.
Nigeria started the match with intent, eager to prove their knockout stage qualification was well-deserved.
Captain Shakirat Moshood came agonizingly close to putting her side ahead midway through the first half, forcing a spectacular save from Italy's goalkeeper, Matilde Robbioni.
However, Italy delivered a crucial blow just before the break. A moment of individual brilliance saw Anna Copelli bypass the Nigerian defence with a clever run before calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu, putting the Italians 1-0 up.
Italy defeat Nigeria in the RO16! 💥@AzzurreFIGC | #U17WWC pic.twitter.com/Sp0hTS5VDZ
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) October 28, 2025
The game's narrative flipped completely in the second half. Nigeria briefly celebrated what they thought was an equaliser by Nguemo Terlumun, only for the Video Support Review (VSR) to rule it out, citing an infringement on the goalkeeper by Queen Joseph.
Italy immediately capitalised on the deflated mood of the Nigerian side. Just three minutes later, Caterina Venturelli produced the goal of the match—an audacious, soaring long-range strike that left Echefu with no chance, doubling the lead.
The floodgates then opened: Giulia Robino added a third goal five minutes later, and Rachelle Giudici completed the rout in the 89th minute, a goal confirmed after another quick VSR check.
The heavy defeat signals the end of Nigeria’s campaign in Morocco. The 2022 edition's bronze medalists managed a total of three loses with a sole win at this year's edition of the now-annual tournament.
Ejim Kaycee
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