Nigeria qualified for the next stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, while Costa Rica fell to Zambia on Monday (July 31) at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand.
The Super Falcons finished the group stage with 5 points after a goalless draw today against Ireland. Nigeria became the second in Group B and the first African nation to book a place for the next stage.
On the other side in New Zealand, Zambia and Costa Rica put on a show although both teams had already been eliminated before the game.
Zambia took the lead early on with the country’s first-ever World Cup goal and extended their lead before half-time.
The Costa Rican side came back in the second half with a goal to try to catch up, but they failed to close the gap, which Zambia extended with a third goal in added time. The final score was 3-1.
Despite this victory, Zambia became the first African team to exit the tournament. Africa’s remaining hopefuls are Morocco, South Africa and Nigeria.