Burundi took a giant stride towards the final qualifying round for the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup with a staggering 18-0 win over Djibouti in the first leg of their third round tie on Sunday.
In a one-sided contest relocated to Ethiopia, the young Burundian stars ran riot, with Esperence Habonima and Roy Nzoyikorera scoring 13 goals between them in an utterly dominant display.
Habonima etched her name into the record books with a remarkable seven-goal haul, hitting the target in the 7th, 52nd, 57th, 66th, 70th, 82nd and 86th minutes.
Her strike partner Nzoyikorera was not to be outdone, however, bagging a six-goal blitz after opening the scoring with just 55 seconds on the clock.
Nzoyikorera added further strikes in the 11th, 34th, 45th, 48th and 72nd minutes as Burundi ran rampant.
🔴 FIN
Djibouti U17 0-18 Burundi U17 #Burundi #Djibouti pic.twitter.com/LBI5OOBg5z
The result leaves Djibouti, who had received byes in the opening two rounds, facing an uphill battle to keep their World Cup dream alive ahead of Wednesday’s return leg in Ethiopia.
For Burundi, the comprehensive first-leg victory continues their impressive run in these qualifiers, having already dispatched Botswana 4-1 and 2-0 in the previous round.
With one foot firmly in the final qualifying round, the Burundian starlets will fancy their chances of advancing to challenge either Ethiopia or Kenya for a coveted place at the U17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic later this year.
Meanwhile, Nigeria, Senegal, and Morocco took significant strides towards the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup as qualifiers intensified across Africa this weekend.
In Bamako, Nigeria‘s Flamingos seized the initiative against Burkina Faso with a crucial 1-1 away draw against a tough Burkina Faso side on Saturday in the first leg of the third and penultimate round of the African qualifiers for the 2024 World Cup.
Chidi Harmony’s 55th-minute strike handed them a 1-0 advantage heading into the return leg in Abuja on May 18th.
However, Rainata Oubda’s late equaliser for the Etalons ensured the tie remained delicately poised at 1-1.
🏁FULL TIME! in Bamako 📍
Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 1-1 Nigeria 🇳🇬
⚽Rainata Oubda 85′ (1-1)
⚽ Chidi Harmony 55′ (0-1)
Enterprising first leg for the Flamingos, as they hope to seal the ticket in the second leg come May 18 in Abuja#SoarFlamingos| #U17WWCQ| #BUKNGA| @thenff pic.twitter.com/2MDRYZZXGl
Senegal‘s Lionesses also grabbed a two-goal cushion in their bid to reach the final round, overcoming Liberia 3-1 in Thiès.
Marie Sarr’s quickfire double put the hosts in control before Mariama Faty extended their lead after the interval.
Brown’s late penalty for Liberia provided a glimmer of hope ahead of the return fixture in Monrovia on May 19th, but Senegal will fancy their chances of progressing.
Troisième tour éliminatoires CDM féminine 2024 | Grâce à un doublé de Marie Louise Sarr et un but de Mariama Faty, nos lioncelles s’imposent 3-1 contre le Liberia et remportent la première manche. Rendez-vous le 19 Mai prochain à Moneovia pour confirmer. #SENLIB #WWCQ2024Q #U17 pic.twitter.com/poL48Kxyfd
فوز كبير لمنتخبنا الوطني النسوي👏🏻
FULL TIME 🇲🇦4-0🇩🇿
𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗪𝗜𝗡 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/sxJIkAwNeC
The comprehensive victory leaves Morocco firmly in the driving seat ahead of the second leg in Algiers on May 17th, as the North Africans seek to maintain their impressive record in the qualifiers.
With the return legs just around the corner, the three ties remain finely poised, setting the stage for more drama and intrigue as the continent’s brightest young female talents.
The countries to represent Africa for the Under-17 Women’s World Cup will be known at the end of the fourth and final round of qualifiers next month.
The 2024 U17 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be played in in the Dominican Republic fromOctober 16 to November 3 later this year.
