Nigeria foes Dominican Republic falter to Kenya in pre-U17 Women’s World Cup test

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

The Dominican Republic, one of Nigeria’s group-stage opponents at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, suffered a 3-1 loss to Kenya in a warm-up match ahead of the tournament.

Kenya took an early lead with goals from Valerie Nekesa and Marion Serenge in the first half, while Lindey Atieno sealed the victory with a strike in the 81st minute.

As hosts of the tournament, the Dominican Republic will face Nigeria, Ecuador, and New Zealand in Group A. Kenya, on the other hand, is set to face Korea DPR, Mexico, and England in Group C.

In another pre-tournament friendly, Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, played out a 1-1 draw with Mexican opponents earlier this week.

With less than a week to go before the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup kicks off, teams are using these warm-up matches to fine-tune their tactics and strategies.

Spain claimed victory in the last edition in India 2022, defeating Colombia in the final, while Nigeria secured the bronze medal with a penalty shootout win over Germany.