African teams are making their mark on the road to the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup after Nigeria and Zambia secured their spots in the prestigious tournament, which will be held in the Dominican Republic from October 16th to November 3rd, 2024, Nigeriasoccernet.com writes.
Nigeria became the first African team to qualify after a dominant performance against Liberia. They cruised to a comfortable 6-1 victory on aggregate, thanks in part to a 4-1 win in the away leg.
Backed by their home supporters in Abuja, they sealed the deal with a 2-0 victory in the return leg, with Harmony Chidi scoring a brace.
Zambia also has reason to celebrate. After a 10-year hiatus, they're returning to the U-17 World Cup. Their qualification journey began with a phenomenal performance by Namute Chileshe, who netted a hat-trick in their 3-1 win over Morocco in the first leg. A goalless draw in the return leg in Morocco was all they needed to secure their place in the global showpiece.
The battle for the third and final African spot continues between Kenya and Burundi. Kenya currently holds the advantage after a convincing 3-0 victory in the first leg played at home. All eyes will be on them to see if they can maintain their lead and join Nigeria and Zambia on the world stage.
By Olaleye Oluwadamilola