South Africa’s coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo expressed her disappointment after her team was defeated by Nigeria’s Flamingos. The Bantwana were beaten 2-0 in the second leg of their qualifying match for the 2025 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, held in Ikenne on Saturday. Nigeria advanced to the final qualifying round with a 5-1 aggregate score. Khumalo commended her players for their strong performance in both matches. “While I am saddened that we didn’t advance in the World Cup qualifiers, I am also very proud of my team’s effort,” she stated to safa. This is a global platform, and while some players put forth their best effort, Nigeria proved to be the superior team. Personally, the main takeaway for me is the experience I’ve gained from competing internationally, particularly after going up against the same, stronger opponent in both the first and second rounds. It’s widely recognized that they are performing well in such competitions in Africa. Written by Adeboye Amosu
