Ajakaye nets hat-trick as Falconets thrash Niger at WAFU Cup opener
Nigeria’s Falconets mauled Niger Republic 7-0 in their first game of the maiden edition of the West Africa Football Union Zone B U-20 Girl’s Cup at the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi in the Ashanti region of Ghana, reports All Nigeria Soccer.
The match was postponed for one hour by the organizers of the tournament.
Esther Ajakaye put the Falconets ahead in the 4th minute from close range to signal an intention to go for the title.
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WOTM Award
Esther Opeyemi Ajakaye π³π¬#ZONEOUESTB | #KumasiU20WAFUGirls pic.twitter.com/GwXu7YKp6K— u20WAFU2023 (@U20wafu2023) May 21, 2023
The 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup star who was a thorn in the flesh of Niger added a second with 13 minutes into the game with another close range finish while Chinyere Kalu made it 3-0 with half an hour played with a long range strike.
The first half ended on that note but the team started the second half on an equally high note going up 4-0 with a penalty scored by Adoabi Okah in the 49th minute.
πΈ#ZONEOUESTB | #KumasiU20WAFUGirls pic.twitter.com/8eWQWlBiBq
— u20WAFU2023 (@U20wafu2023) May 21, 2023
The WAFU B Women's U20 tournament is upon us.
Here is how the Falconets will go about the group stage.
Coach Chris Danjuma has a mix of the U20/U17 World Cup teams as they make a charge for the trophy.
Niger Women's U20 will be their first opponents tomorrow#SoarFalconets pic.twitter.com/0mQWTSPD9Q
— The NFF π³π¬ (@thenff) May 20, 2023
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Ajaikaye then scored her hat-trick in the 54th minute when she created space for herself in the box and slotted home for the first hat-trick of the competition.
In the 64th minute, Victoria Alani tried her luck from distance and the ball ended up in the back of the net after a blunder by the Nigerien goalkeeper that saw the ball go through her legs.
Second half substitute, Chioma Olise headed home in the 90th minute for the seventh goal of the evening for the Nigerian girls.