Japan’s forward, Chinari Sasai, credited teamwork and unity as the key factors behind her team’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Falconets of Nigeria in a thrilling match in the Round of 16 at the ongoing Colombia 2024 FIFA U-20 World Cup, in Bogota, Friday morning.
The former champions edged out the Falconets with goals from Miyu Matsunaga and Maya Hijikata, sealing their spot in the next round.
Nigeria’s Shola Shobowale found the back of the net for the West Africans, but it was not enough to stop Japan from advancing.
Reflecting on the victory, Sasai highlighted her team’s resilience against Nigeria’s physical prowess.
“We knew that Nigeria is physically stronger and faster than us, but everyone was able to stay focused and score the first goal, and then the second. I’m very happy because this is a victory we won together as a team,” Sasai said in an interview with FIFA.com.
Japan will now prepare for a challenging quarter-final clash against Spain on Sunday, with hopes of continuing their impressive run in the tournament.
