WORLD CUP READY: Mariam Yahaya Hat-Trick Seals 3-2 Win Over Paraguay in Final Warm-up

Nigeria’s U-17 women's national team, the Flamingos, closed out their pre-World Cup preparations with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Paraguay in Casablanca, confirming their readiness just days before the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup begins. The win gives them a huge confidence boost following the team's first defeat just days earlier against New Zealand.

Forward Mariam Yahaya stole the spotlight with a brilliant first-half hat-trick, her sharp finishing shows exactly the kind of cutting edge Coach Bankole Olowookere will be counting on when the Flamingos face the challenges of Group D.

First-Half Fireworks

The Flamingos wasted no time setting the tempo. Just two minutes into the match, goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface launched a superb long ball forward to playmaker Shakirat Moshood. Moshood quickly released Yahaya, who expertly chipped the Paraguayan goalkeeper to open the scoring.

Although a defensive error in the 15th minute allowed Paraguay to equalize, Yahaya quickly took control of the match. She restored Nigeria’s lead in the 44th minute before completing her breathtaking hat-trick a minute later, thanks to a fine assist from Kaosarat Olanrewaju. Nigeria headed into the break leading 3–1.

Defense Holds Firm

The second half was a focused affair. While the Flamingos, featuring substitutes like goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu, with Moshood and Ayomide Abubakar both testing the goalkeeper as the defense faced a late test.

Paraguay managed to pull one goal back late in the contest, but the Flamingos held firm to secure the 3-2 win. The victory brings their impressive friendly statistics to 12 games played, 50 goals scored, and a total of six goals conceded.

The team is scheduled to depart Casablanca this morning for Rabat, where they will check into the official FIFA accommodation ahead of the tournament’s official opening on October 17th.

Group D Tournament Fixtures

The Flamingos are placed in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa, with all their matches scheduled to take place in the Rabat/Sale vicinity:

Match 1 (vs. Canada): Sunday, October 19, at 8:00 p.m. Nigerian time

Match 2 (vs. France): Wednesday, October 22, at 8:00 p.m. Nigerian time

Match 3 (vs. Samoa): Saturday, October 25, at 5:00 p.m. Nigerian time

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