BRISBANE: In a thrilling match that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, England secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup by prevailing over Nigeria in a penalty shootout, winning 4-2 on Monday in Brisbane.
Despite Nigeria’s dominance in chances, the European Champions, who found themselves reduced to 10 players in the 87th minute, clinched the victory in front of a crowd of 50,000 after the match concluded in a goalless draw at the end of extra time.
England’s resilience and teamwork shone through as playmaker Lauren James received a red card late in the game for an unnecessary stamp. The Lionesses will be well aware that they need to elevate their performance if they aim to add the World Cup title to their European crown. They are set to face either Colombia or Jamaica in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
The penalty shootout had an electrifying start, with Georgia Stanway from England firing wide. However, Nigeria’s Desire Oparanozie couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, missing her shot in a similar fashion. England’s Beth England seized the moment and converted her penalty, while Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie shot over the bar, granting England an advantage they maintained. The victory was sealed when Chloe Kelly calmly converted her penalty kick.
England Coach Sarina Wiegman Commends Team’s Unity
Reflecting on the challenging match, England coach Sarina Wiegman commended her team’s unity, saying, “The first thing is we really stuck together as a team… How we did that, and how the team just kept going, I’m so proud of them.”
Wiegman acknowledged the toughness of the competition, highlighting, “Not one game has been easy and we knew and knew before this game it will not be easy.”
Although the Lionesses were anticipated to secure a comfortable victory against Nigeria, ranked 40th in the world, the Nigerian team proved their mettle throughout the World Cup. Their remarkable speed and transition tactics allowed them to upset hosts Australia during the group stage, securing a 3-2 victory.
Against England, Nigeria employed similar strategies, taking advantage of their speed and exploiting the vulnerabilities in England’s defense. Despite their efforts, Nigeria couldn’t find the net, resulting in the match ending in a goalless draw.
Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum expressed pride in his team’s performance, noting, “To come in here and play the way they did tonight, I thought we were every bit as good (as England)… We had every opportunity to get the result, and unfortunately, we didn’t get it done.”
