Falconets bow out with win

Nigeria’s Falconets saw off Spain 2-1 at the PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby to finish their FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2016 campaign with a victory, coming from behind thanks to a goal in each half from Ihuoma Onyebuchi and Chinwendu Ihezuo, after Alba Redondo had given the European side the lead.

However, the win did not see the girls to the knock-out round as they bowed out of the competition on superior goal difference.

Pedro Lopez's side progress to the knockout stages, but in second place, after Japan's dismantling of Canada.

The Spaniards got off to a swift start, with Maria Caldentey sending a ball inside the area, touched on by Nahikari Garcia to Redondo who finished with a low shot to goalkeeper Onyinyechukwu Okeke's right-hand side.

The Port Moresby crowd did not need to wait for long to see the Nigerians bounce back, with Spain conceding their first goal after over three hours of football in Papua New Guinea. Charity Reuben nodded down a Nigerian corner, with Onyebuchi finding enough space and time to fire home from inside the penalty area.

Nigeria pushed forwards in the closing moments of the opening half, but were made to wait for their second goal, which came after the interval.

Rasheedat Abijade hit a superb long ball towards Ihezuo, with the No9 met by Carmen Menayo and Marta Cazalla in the Spanish defence. The Nigeria forward nodded the ball past the defenders and sprinted into space, before firing home a left-footed effort.

The African side played the final six minutes with ten players, after Glory Ogbonna picked up a second booking, but it mattered little, as Peter Dedevbo's side held on for the three points. That second win on the bounce for the Nigerians was not enough to progress, or indeed stop Spain going through, but was enough to stop the Spaniards topping Group B, with Japan winning the pool.