Nigeria have made it to the Women's World Cup knockout stages for the third time in their history following a tense 0-0 draw against Ireland in their final Group B match on Monday.
Securing the second spot in the group, Nigeria narrowly missed out on being the group toppers, with hosts Australia claiming that honor.
Entering the match as the leaders of Group B, Nigeria only needed to avoid defeat to secure a spot in the last 16, regardless of the outcome in the other group game between Australia and Canada in Melbourne.
Both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances during the game, but Nigeria came close to breaking the deadlock in the second half. Uchenna Kanu had the best opportunity to score with a powerful header, but Ireland’s goalkeeper, Courtney Brosnan, made a series of impressive saves, ultimately keeping a clean sheet for Ireland.
Nigeria will eagerly await the outcome of Group D on Tuesday to learn their last-16 opponents. England currently leads Group D with six points ahead of their final clash with China. The winner of Group D will be the team that Nigeria faces in the knockout stages.
In a remarkable achievement, debutants Ireland secured their first-ever point at the World Cup, even though they were already eliminated after suffering two defeats.
In the other match of the group, Australia continued their impressive home World Cup campaign by eliminating the Olympic Gold medallists Canada with a dominant 4-0 victory in Melbourne. This secured Australia’s position at the top of the group with two wins and six points, followed closely by Nigeria, who remain unbeaten with five points. Canada and Ireland, unfortunately, exited the tournament with four and one point, respectively.
