Nigeria 2-0 Korea: Oshoala on target to boost Super Falcons' knockout hopes

Goals in each half saw Nigeria overcome South Korea 2-0 in Group A at the Women's World Cup.

With the win, Nigeria is now third in Group A.

Nigeria boosted its hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Women's World Cup with a 2-0 win over South Korea.

An own goal from Kim Do-yeon, given after a VAR check, and Asisat Oshoala's strike in Grenoble got the Super Falcons off the mark in the tournament.

It now faces host France in its final game in Group A, while South Korea, who remains without a point but still have an outside chance of qualification, faces Norway.

 

Both sides entered the game in search of a response to defeats in their opening group games.

It was South Korea, beaten 4-0 by France in the tournament's curtain-raiser, who started the more purposefully with Lee Geum-min testing Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie with a curling effort before Lee Mi-na drove narrowly wide.

READ | Women's World Cup: As it happened - Nigeria beats South Korea 2-0, seals first win

However, its opponents took control against the run of play courtesy of a defensive error when Kim inadvertently volleyed beyond her onrushing goalkeeper and into her own goal. 

Referee Anastasia Pustovoytova eventually gave the goal after a lengthy VAR check to determine whether Nigeria forward Desire Oparanozie had handled the ball before it crossed the line.

Oparanozie headed narrowly over in the 50th minute, while South Korea was denied a goal for offside nine minutes later.

Nnadozie could count herself fortunate when she palmed a cross straight to Lee, who converted only for the offside flag to go up.

Barcelona's Oshoala sealed the victory with 15 minutes left when she latched onto Chidinma Okeke's excellent pass to squeeze home from a tight angle.

Key Opta facts Nigeria has become the first African side in Women's World Cup history to win their second group game at the tournament, with 12 of the previous 13 such matches ending in defeat for sides from Africa (D1). Asisat Oshoala (2015 and 2019) has become just the second Nigerian to score in two different Women's World Cup tournaments after Rita Nwadike (1995 and 1999). At 18 years and 186 days, Nigeria's Chiamaka Nnadozie has become the youngest ever goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a Women's World Cup game.