Heroic feat for Serengeti Girls despite ouster

It was heroic for brave Serengeti Girls to reach top eight despite losing 3-0 to Colombia in the FIFA U17 World Cup match in Margao, Goa India on Saturday.

Serengeti Girls bowed out of the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in India, mostly because the team had two players sent off.

Linda Caicedo dinked in and Yesica Munoz headed home off the inside of the post for Colombia Serengeti Girls were reduced to 10 in the 23rd minute.

Zainabu Ally was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Juana Ortegon following a review by the video assistant referee.

Gabriela Rodriguez added the third for Colombia from the penalty spot nine minutes before the break, after goalkeeper Zulfa Makau brought down Munoz.

Neema Kinega hit the post for Tanzania on the stroke of half-time, and Joyce Lema came close to pulling one back just after the hour-mark but her long-range free-kick from inside the centre circle hit the top of the crossbar.

Serengeti Girls, , who were making their debut at a Fifa tournament, then had captain Noela Luhaha dismissed with three minutes remaining for a second bookable offence.

Colombia will face Nigeria in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

The Flamingos, who beat the United States on penalties on Friday after a 1-1 draw, have reached the last four at the U17 Women’s World Cup for the first time.

Tanzania hold Canada to set up Colombia quarter-final

Serengeti Girls qualified for the quarter final after a 1-1 draw with Canada.

The brave girls lifted by their 2-1 shock win over France and a draw was what needed to qualify for the last eight.

Nonetheless, they were on the back foot in the 14th minute after Amanda Allen put Rhian Wilkinson’s Reds ahead from the penalty mark.

In the 35th minute, Veronica Mapunda levelled matters for the Tanzanians.

Despite an improved performance from both countries in the second half, the low-scoring affair ended on a no winner, no vanquished note.

Having lost their first fixture against Japan, the Serengeti girls bounced back to win one and draw one of their remaining two group matches to reach the knockout phase of the global football showpiece taking place in India.

Mapunda was a delight to watch as she caused a lot of problems for the Canadians. She was unlucky not to have scored two more goals in the second half.