Nigeria had been dissatisfied to return away from their last Ladies’s World Cup group sport in opposition to Eire with only a level however would have gladly accepted it earlier than kick-off in the event that they knew it meant reaching the final 16, coach Randy Waldrum stated.

Nigeria began the sport high of the Group B standings however the 0-0 draw allowed co-hosts Australia to maneuver as much as first place after they thrashed Canada 4-0, that means the African facet look on target to face England within the final 16.

A pay dispute has overshadowed their marketing campaign, with the outspoken Waldrum saying he was owed seven months’ wages and a few of his gamers had not been paid in two years. However the American coach stated he was pleased with what his facet achieved regardless of the complaints.

“I simply advised them that two years in the past, once we began this journey, so many issues went properly and so many issues didn’t go properly. They by no means gave up, they continued to consider,” a smiling Waldrum stated after they sealed qualification for the final 16.

“You understand, I used to be really dissatisfied within the second half as a result of we might have received the match. So it virtually feels disappointing that we didn’t get the end result, the three factors. However all of us would have taken this end result earlier than we began the match simply to know we received by way of.”

Japan lay down marker with Spain thrashing

Elsewhere on Monday, Hinata Miyazawa grabbed two targets to turn out to be the event’s main scorer as former champions Japan placed on a counter-attacking clinic to beat Spain 4-0 and lock up high spot in Group C.

Striker Riko Ueki additionally scored on the break because the Nadeshiko lower by way of Spain’s excessive press with three lightning raids within the first half earlier than substitute Momoko Tanaka added the fourth with one other high quality strike eight minutes from time.

Japan, winners of the 2011 World Cup and runners-up in 2015, will stay within the New Zealand capital to play Norway within the final 16 on Saturday, whereas Spain – who equally to their opponents had already certified for the final 16 – will transfer north to Auckland to face Switzerland earlier on the identical day.

“Within the first and second video games, we had extra time to work with the ball however needed to be cautious of the counter-attack,” stated coach Futoshi Ikeda.

“On this match in opposition to Spain, we knew we must defend for lengthy durations. So we knew we must benefit from each alternative we needed to play the sport we needed to. I feel had been profitable on this.”

Zambia finish event on a excessive

Debutants Zambia claimed their first-ever victory on the Ladies’s World Cup with a 3-1 win over Costa Rica at Waikato Stadium, though each groups had been already out of competition for the knockout stage.

Zambia, whose first two video games led to 5-0 hammerings, completed third in Group C, as Costa Rica completed backside and didn’t decide up some extent of their three matches.

Defender Lushomo Mweemba scored the quickest purpose of the event thus far, with a spectacular volleyed effort at two minutes and 11 seconds, and captain Barbra Banda doubled the lead from the penalty spot simply after the half-hour mark. Melissa Herrera lower the deficit two minutes after the break and Costa Rica pushed for an equaliser, however substitute Racheal Kundananji netted the third in stoppage time to make sure Zambia’s debut World Cup marketing campaign ended on a excessive.

“It’s a historic day,” Banda stated. “We’ve had a variety of help again house so we needed to win right this moment … It was not a simple sport for us. It was a battle.

“I’ve been practising penalties in coaching so I used to be assured. On the identical time, I used to be nervous, carrying the hopes of 1000’s of individuals again house. It was an honour for me to take that penalty.”

Enjoying at their second World Cup, Costa Rica had been nonetheless looking for their first win within the competitors and scored two minutes after the break when ahead Herrera bundled the ball house after goalkeeper Catherine Musonda was unable to clear it.