The Nigerian team on Wednesday in the Dominican Republic defeated their New Zealand counterparts 4-1 in their opening match at the 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.

Report says that, in the match played at the Cibao Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, the Flamingos were outstanding in recording their first victory.

Shakirat Moshood opened scoring in the second minute of the game, before Taiwo Adegoke doubled the lead in the 13th minute to give the team a good advantage.

Faridat Abdulwahab scored the third goal in the 28th minute to take the game beyond their opponents by the end of the first half of the match.

The New Zealand girls fought back but they could not convert any of their goal scoring chances before the end of the first half.

On resumption of the second half, the Flamingos continued to dominate the game and Taiwo Afolabi duly scored the fourth goal in the 55th minute.

Hannah Saxon went on to score New Zealand’s only goal in the 60th minute to make the final scores 4-1.

The Flamingos will now in their next game on Saturday face Ecuador, who beat host nation Dominican Republic 2-0 later on Wednesday.

Nigeria will end their Group A campaign on Tuesday when they take on the host nation at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo.

Report says that Nigeria have participated in every edition of the competition, finishing in the semi-finals in the last edition at India in 2022.

That was the closest they have ever got to winning the competition.

Report says that 16 teams from six confederations are participating in the ongoing 2024 edition which began on Wednesday and is expected to end on Nov. 3.(NAN)

The Board of Lobi Stars FC has appointed former Super Eagles coach, Daniel Amokachi, as the new Technical Adviser of the club.

This is contained in a statement issued by the club’s Head of Media, Mr Emmanuel Uja, on Sunday in Makurdi.

Amokachi’s appointment takes immediate effect, as the club sought to revitalise its strategy and improve performance.

Uja stated that all the backroom staff had been relieved of their duties and instructed to reapply if they wished to continue with the club.

He said that they were directed to hand over all the club’s property in their possessions to the club’s Secretary, immediately.

Uja explained that the club’s former Coach, Eugene Agagbe, had been relieved of his appointment as Chief Coach with immediate effect.

“This decision follows the board’s review of Agagbe’s failure to meet a five-match win target, managing only one victory while losing three,” Uja said. (NAN)

  Arsenal’s Kai Havertz maintained his impressive start to the season with the opening goal in a 2-0 home victory against Paris St Germain which kick-started the London club’s Champions League campaign on Tuesday.

After drawing away to Italian side Atalanta in their opening game the onus was on Mikel Arteta’s side to deliver a home win against last year’s semi-finalists and they delivered.

German forward Havertz headed his side in front after 20 minutes with his fifth goal of the season and 15 minutes later Bukayo Saka’s free kick somehow found its way into the PSG net to put the hosts in complete control.

PSG, who won their opening game against Girona, struck the woodwork in each half and played with more urgency after the interval but could have few complaints about the outcome.

Victory propelled Arsenal into the top eight of the new 36-team league phase with their next match at home to Shakhtar Donetsk after the international break. PSG will seek to bounce back in their next match at home to PSV Eindhoven.

Such is the confidence sweeping through Arsenal at the moment that a home game against seasoned European opposition managed by Luis Enrique held no fears.

They almost made the perfect start in route-one fashion as a long clearance by keeper David Raya skimmed off the wet turf and Gabriel Martinelli almost nicked it past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Arsenal took the lead in the 20th minute as Trossard was allowed too much time on the left and his lofted ball was perfect for the late run of Havertz who nodded past the out-of-position Donnarumma into an empty net.

Nuno Mendes struck a left-footed shot against the post as PSG responded but Arsenal soon doubled their lead.

Havertz’s goal extended PSG’s run without a clean sheet away from home in the Champions League to 20 — a sorry sequence starting four years ago.

And the way they conceded again in the 35th would not have looked out of place on a local park pitch.

Saka curled a free kick from the right into a crowded penalty area and the ball evaded everyone and left Donnarumma red-faced as it nestled into the net.

PSG’s hopes of mounting a second-half comeback were hardly helped by Luis Enrique’s decision to omit forward Ousmane Dembele from the squad for disciplinary reasons. (Reuters/NAN)