Burkina Faso and the Flamingos of Nigeria played out an intense 1-1 draw in the first leg of the third-round qualifier for the 2024 U17 Women’s World Cup.
With first-leg hosts Burkina Faso failing to provide a good enough venue, the match was played at a neutral venue, the Stade 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali.
Flamingos star, Chidi Harmony opened the scoring for Nigeria early in the second half, only for Rainata Oubda to equalize for Burkina Faso late in the game and force a draw.
Despite Nigeria’s early dominance and control over possession and other key stats of the match, both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first half due to a combination of missed opportunities and solid defending in Bamako on Saturday May 11.
To bring life into the game, Nigeria’s Chidi Harmony broke the deadlock in the 55th minute to spark more pressure from the home side.
Despite having another chance to extend Nigeria’s lead, Chidi Harmony’s effort went wide, allowing Burkina Faso to capitalize on a defensive error and level the score through Rainata Oubda.
The return leg is set to take place on May 18 at the Abuja National Stadium, where the winner will secure a spot in the fourth and final round of the qualifiers.
The victor of the Nigeria-Burkina Faso clash will then face the winner between Senegal and Liberia for a chance to compete at the 2024 U17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic
