Nigeria’s journey in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup ended on Saturday, October 26, with a 2-0 defeat against the USA at Santiago de los Caballeros Stadium. Despite a determined effort and dominant ball possession, the Nigerian team struggled to break through the USA’s solid defense, ultimately conceding goals from Kennedy Fuller and Kimmi Ascanio in the quarter-final match.

The Nigerian side was Africa’s last representative in the tournament after Kenya and Zambia were eliminated in the group stages. While the defeat marks the end of Nigeria’s inspiring run, the team—and their African counterparts—can look forward to building on the experience for the upcoming tournament, which will be hosted by Morocco next year.