U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier: Burkina Faso and Nigeria share spoils in Mali

Nigeria and Burkina Faso played out an intense 1-1 draw in the first leg of the third-round qualifier for the 2024 U17 Women’s World Cup.

With Burkina Faso failing to provide a good enough venue, the match was played at a neutral venue, the Stade 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali.

Chidi Harmony opened the scoring for Nigeria in the second half, only for Rainata Oubda to equalize for Burkina Faso late in the game.

Despite Nigeria’s early dominance and control over the pace of the match, both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first half due to a combination of missed opportunities and solid defending.

However, the momentum shifted in the 55th minute when Chidi Harmony broke the deadlock for Nigeria.

Despite having another chance to extend Nigeria’s lead, Harmony’s effort went wide, allowing Burkina Faso to capitalize on a defensive error and level the score through Rainata Oubda.

The return leg is set to take place on May 18 at the Abuja National Stadium, where the winner will secure a spot in the fourth and final round of the qualifiers.

The victor of the Nigeria-Burkina Faso clash will then face the winner between Senegal and Liberia for a chance to compete at the 2024 U17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic