Having played their hearts out in their previous game against France, and losing by 1 goal, the fate of the Super Falcons rested on the outcome of the remaining group games in the global event.
Luck smiled on the Nigerian team when their Argentine rivals drew against Scotland 3-3 in their final Group D match.
Things got even more interesting when Cameroon defeated New Zealand to claim their first win of the tournament, paving way for Nigeria to break through to the knockout stage, if Chile holds back Thailand with not more than two goals.
A 3-0 win for Chile would have ended Nigeria’s hopes of breaking a 20-year long jinx, but as providence would have it, Chile defeated Thailand with just the right amount of goals needed for Nigeria to make the cut.
The Falcons are going into the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup as one of the best losers of the tournament and would hope to make a name for themselves when they take on European stronghold, Germany, on Saturday, June 22, for a place in the quarter-finals.
Go Girls! Nigeria is proud of you!
Featured image source: Daily Post Nigeria