Hosts Ghana defeated Nigeria 5-4 on penalty shootout to win the inaugural WAFU B U17 Girls’ Cup in Accra on Sunday.
The regulation time ended 2-2 before the Black Maidens edged the Flamingos in the penalty shootout,scoring all five of their spot kicks while Nigeria missed one of their own.
Getrude Amoafo put the hosts in front in the 14th minute, and then the irrepressible Priscilla Mensah doubled the advantage five minutes later. It appeared the Maidens would coast to an easy victory, but the Nigerian girls had other ideas.
Precious Oscar halved the deficit in the 34th minute, with a powerful volley right inside the Ghanaian vital area, and Harmony Chidi restored parity in the 78th minute with a long-range strike that flew above goalkeeper Aishatu Fatai.
Defender Taiwo Adegoke handed the advantage to the hosts in the shootout, when she struck the woodwork from six yards, but the Flamingos certainly gave a good account of themselves in a tournament in which they scored 16 goals in four matches, conceding only four.
Benin Republic took the bronze medals with another penalty shootout defeat of Cote d’Ivoire in the third-place match played earlier in the day.
