Meanwhile, Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets brought joy to the nation’s teeming football lovers with a 1-0 defeat of Burundi in the first leg of their FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup final qualifying round fixture in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

Janet Akekoromowei scored from the penalty spot in added time in the first half to give the 2022 World Cup quarter-finalists victory, and the Burundians played with only 10 women after that following red card to defender Ariella Umuarerwa.

Both teams will clash again at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, in the final leg of the qualification series, with the winner on aggregate qualifying as one of Africa’s four representatives at this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in Colombia.