Nigeria and Portugal progress as last-16 line-up is set

Nigeria and Portugal won big to reach the Round of 16

DPR Korea and Spain cruised through on maximum points

Golden Boot Race | Every Player of the Match

Ramotalahi Kareem and Anna Marques starred as Nigeria and Portugal won emphatically to reach the knockout phase of this FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ as group runners-up. Elsewhere, DPR Korea and Spain cruised through with perfect records, and China PR and Colombia sneaked through among the best third-placed teams at the expense of Ecuador.

Argentina-Korea Republic, Brazil-USA, Italy-China PR, Spain-Portugal, France-Canada, England-Nigeria, DPR Korea-Japan and Poland-Colombia will now unfold in the Round of 16, which begins on Wednesday.

Group F

China PR 1-3 Spain

China PR goal: Huang Jiaxin (66) Spain goals: Daniela Agote (pen 19), Pau Comendador (41 & 45+1) Visa Player of the Match: Pau Comendador (Spain)

Comendador put in yet another commanding performance as Spain topped the table with three wins out of three. The La Rojita playmaker scored a brilliant brace just before the break – first with an exquisite 15-yard volley and then with an impressive long-range effort after excellent hold-up play by Celia Segura.

Spain had taken an early lead through an Agote penalty following a handball by Huang Jiaxin. The China defender, who has made waves in Poland with her attacking threat, later atoned for her error, scoring her fourth of the tournament with a powerful header.

What they said...

“Obviously Spain are a very strong team, so we hope to learn from the [experience]. In the first half, they were very fast and we were a bit lower than them. In the second half, we tried to pressure them more to get more opportunities. We will try to be aggressive against Italy.” Wang Jun, China PR coach

“I’m very happy and very proud, especially of the team’s work. In the end, we always try to help the team as much as possible to get the three points. We’re always going to aim for the maximum and to win this tournament. We feel we’re in a very good place, and I think we’ve shown that in every game.” Daniela Agote, Spain player

Nigeria 10-1 New Caledonia

Nigeria goals: Ramotalahi Kareem (pen 17, 27 & 64), Rebecca Adegbemile (19 & 74), Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei (23), Winner Onajite David (pen 60 & 75), Tosin Rafiu (70) New Caledonia goal: Joceline Kourevi (89) Visa Player of the Match: Ramotalahi Kareem (Nigeria)

Moses Aduku’s Falconets dominated from the outset and made the breakthrough when Rafiu tricked her way past three opponents to win a penalty, and Kareem stroked it home. Headers from Adegbemile and Akekoromowei amplified the advantage, before Kareem added a fourth following more excellent play from Rafiu.

After the restart, Kareem sealed her hat-trick, David bagged a treble of her own, Adegbemile completed her brace and Rafiu scored a beauty from outside the box. There was, however, consolation joy for New Caledonia as Kourevi got their first goal of these finals with a superb strike from distance.

What they said...

“We hope to achieve great things now that we’ve got through the group stage. I’m really pleased with my hat-trick. My job is to score goals and helping the team today made me happy. We’re ready for the match against England. We’ll prepare as well as we possibly can for the Round of 16 against a strong side.” Ramotalahi Kareem, Nigeria player

“This is a source of great pride for the country. I’m very proud too, because it’s a first for me. It’s the first time we’ve been in the World Cup, and we’re a small country as well. We’ve managed to qualify for this World Cup, so it’s just a source of great pride for the country too. Thank you to the country for supporting us.” Joceline Kourevi, New Caledonia goalscorer

Group E

Colombia 0-3 DPR Korea

DPR Korea goals: Choe Rim-Jong (11), Choe Yon-A (pen 81 & pen 85) Player of the Match: Choe Yon-A (DPR Korea)

Han Chol-Hak’s team delivered another masterclass to book a repeat of April’s AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup final, which Japan won 1-0. Kang Ryu-Mi skilfully spun her marker and forced Luisa Agudelo into an early save, but the deadlock was soon broken. Choe pocketed possession on the right wing, swung inside two Colombians with one touch, and curled the ball home palatially.

A last-gasp Mercedes Martinez challenge, and two fine saves from Agudelo, kept Carlos Paniagua’s charges in the game, but DPR Korea pulled themselves out of sight in the last 10 minutes thanks to two Choe Yon-A penalties.

What they said...

“It really surprised us to see so many Colombian fans in the stands. It’s beautiful because we felt at home too. Now I have to apologise to these people who came to support us, because it wasn’t the result we wanted, but I want them to be sure that we will try our best in every match, like the next one against Poland.” Juana Ortegon, Colombia player

“I am satisfied, but instead of being complacent after winning today, we will now do our best to win our next match. We are a united team. We are going to win no matter what.” Choe Rim-Jong, DPR Korea player

Portugal 3-0 Costa Rica

Portugal goals: Anna Marques (7 & 58), Carolina Tristao (34) Visa Player of the Match: Carolina Tristao (Portugal)

Portugal punched their ticket to the Round of 16 in their debut participation after registering their first goals and victory in Poland. The Iberians took the lead when a Carolina Tristao corner was cleared into the path of Ines Meninas, who headed the ball into the area for Anna Marques to nod home. They doubled their tally thanks to a brilliant individual effort from Tristao, with Marques completing her brace midway through the second half.

Portugal also hit the woodwork three times before completing a comfortable victory over Costa Rica, who remain without a point in 15 total games at the U-20 showpiece.

What they said...

“It’s incredible. Personally, I waited a long time for the goal. It was nice to score it. It wouldn’t have mattered if someone else scored the goal. I'm just happy that I could help the team. I don’t think anybody expected us to be that good. At the EURO it was the same. We came here and we were the underdogs, but I think we demonstrated on the pitch that we are a really good team.” Anna Marques on becoming Portugal’s first goalscorer in the competition

“The most important thing is that the players have learned a lot in Poland. Also, 15 of the players who came here are young enough to repeat the process. I think that is also something that we, as a coaching staff, have to consider: thinking about the future of women’s football in our country.” Ana Aguilar, Costa Rica coach