Nigeria’s women’s U-20 team qualified for the fourth round of the Costa Rica 2022 U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers with a 4-0 thumping of 10-woman Central African Republic at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos on Wednesday.
The Nigerians qualified for the third round via an 11-0 aggregate win, having defeated their opponents 7-0 away from home last week in Douala, Cameroon.
They will face either Egypt or Congo in the fourth round. Both sides played out a 1-1 draw 11 days ago in Egypt.
Flourish Sebastine got the Falconets in front after latching onto a long thrust by Bashirat Amoo in the 13th minute, a minute after exciting left-sided midfielder Esther Onyenezide had rocked the crossbar from a free-kick.
Sebastine could have made it 2-0 14 minutes later but she was thwarted by goalkeeper Beverly Mellot, who put up a brave performance. In the 31st minute, Onyenezide again rattled the crossbar with a sweet in-swinger from the right.
Idoko made good in the 35th minute, heading home from a corner kick by the ever-present Sebastine.
Six minutes into the second period, Idoko finished with a flourish off a flowing team move, sending the aggregate into double figures.
Captain of the visiting team, Sumita Lindsay Gouandjia, was dismissed from the game for a second bookable offence in the 68th minute.
Three minutes from the end, substitute Blessing Okpe made it four for Christopher Danjuma’s side with a ferocious rising shot, only three minutes after coming in for Joy Jerry.(Punch)