The Nigeria Under-20 female, team FIFA Under-20 bowed out of the ongoing Women’s World Cup after a 2-0 loss to The Netherlands on Sunday.
The Falconets were unable to replicate earlier round performances, which saw them win all three group stage matches, following the loss to the Dutch their quarter-final match in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Flourish Sabastine, who scored Nigeria’s winning goal against France in their Group C opening match, could not make hay in the seventh minute.
The Dutch went ahead, when Zera Hulswit riffled home a perfect dipping shot beyond Omini Oyono after pulling away on the counter.
In the 15th minute, Sabastine again pulled away and let fly, but the ball was tipped away by impressive goalkeeper Claire Dinkla.
It was a tepid performance but the falconets almost got back in the game a couple of time in the hour mark and 62 minute.
But after consulting the Video Assistant Referee, Costa Rican official Marianela Araya overturned her own decision to award a penalty kick.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that defeat meant elimination for a team that had won all three group phase matches, scoring five goals and conceding only one.
The Netherlands will now meet Spain on Thursday in the first semi-final fixture, after the European side beat Mexico 1-0 in the first quarter-final match on Saturday.
In similarly disappointing fashion, Leon Edwards stunned Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman, winning via a Head-Kick knockout on the previously undefeated Kamaru.
The loss saw Usman’s 19-fight winning streak snap in the blink of an eye and suffered his first loss in nine years.
It was the fourth latest finish in a championship fight — just seconds short of Usman’s own finish of Colby Covington in 2019.
Usman remained optimistic about his future. The former champion took to Twitter and promised to return with a vengeance.
Likewise, Anthony Olaseeni Joshua suffered back to defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk by split decision in their Heavyweight title rematch.
AJ was left fuming as he was visibly frustrated thereby storming out of the ring and almost the Arena after the result was announced.
The loss was only the third loss of his career and it seemed to have taken a huge toll on his emotions even though he eventually came back to congratulate Usyk and praise his opponent’s abilities.
AJ has since admitted that he let his emotions overrun him and has since apologized to his fans while promising to come back stronger.