Flamingos vs Korea DPR: Preview, h2h as Nigeria need a point, so can they stop the holders?

Nigeria's Flamingos face Korea DPR at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Rabat today, needing a win or a draw to reach the knockout stage.

Coach Akeem Busari's side lost 2-1 to Poland in their opener, then beat debutants Puerto Rico 2-0 on 20 October. According to Blueprint, Nigeria, the 2022 bronze medallists, now meet a Korea DPR side that has won both of its group games.

Match facts

Competition: FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, Group B
Date: Friday 23 October
Kick-off: 16:00 WAT (15:00 local time in Morocco)
Venue: Rabat, where Nigeria's group games have been played

Form guide

Poland beat Nigeria 2-1 in the opener, with Oluebube Umejiaku scoring Nigeria's goal, as All Nigeria Soccer reported. Nigeria then beat Puerto Rico 2-0, with goals credited to Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Precious Oscar, according to All Nigeria Soccer.

Korea DPR beat Puerto Rico 6-0 on their World Cup debut, as Softfootball noted. Blueprint says the holders lead the group with 12 goals scored and one conceded after two games.

Head-to-head

The sides have met twice at this tournament, according to Blueprint. Nigeria won 3-2 in 2010, and Korea DPR won 3-0 in 2016.

Analysis: why a draw is enough, and why that is a risk

Blueprint says a win or a draw would put Nigeria through, while a defeat would leave their fate tied to the Poland v Puerto Rico result and the tiebreakers. On that reading, the Flamingos' task is simpler than the opponent's name suggests: they do not have to beat the holders, only avoid losing to them.

The numbers explain why that is easier said than done. Korea DPR have scored 12 and conceded one in two games, so a side that sits deep and counts on one chance carries real risk. A goal for Nigeria, as against Puerto Rico, would change the maths. Nigeria's attack found the net twice in that win and once against Poland, so scoring is not the issue. Keeping a clean sheet against a team that scored six on the same opponent is.

The tiebreaker route is the fallback nobody wants. If Nigeria lose, they would depend on a result in another match, and that is a position the Flamingos can avoid with a draw.

Team news

No confirmed line-up had been published in the sources checked for this preview, so no predicted XI is given. Soccernet will not guess at names.

Verdict

Predicted score: Korea DPR 1-1 Nigeria
Likely scorers: Oluwakemi Adegbuyi or Oluebube Umejiaku for Nigeria

A draw would be a fair outcome on form and would send Nigeria through. Follow the Nigerian women's game on Soccernet, including the Super Falcons' Olympic qualifying test against Morocco and the question mark over Nigeria’s World Cup place.