BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – Valerin Loboa shattered Nigerian hearts in the 92nd minute, bundling home a dramatic stoppage-time winner to fire Colombia into the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026
Her lethal, last-gasp strike broke a grueling deadlock and sealed a battling 1-0 victory in a high-stakes quarter-final that seemed destined for extra time.
Earlier, the match had played out as a bruising war of attrition with a scrappy first half that saw both sides lock horns with relentless commitment, but the fierce physical battles on the pitch left virtually no room for attacking inspiration.
The best effort came when Nigeria’s Tumininu Adeshina stepped forward from the back and unleashed a powerful long-range left-foot shot that was heading for the net before Luisa Agudelo tipped over.
Colombia charged to life after the break, unleashing No. 10 Mariana Silva, who twice tore clean through the defense on explosive solo runs. However, on both occasions, her lethal strikes were brilliantly neutralized by the lightning-fast reflexes of Nigeria’s alert goalkeeper, Christiana Uzoma.
The South Americans’ stranglehold on proceedings was tightened 13 minutes from time when Kafiyat Masifere was red carded for a high challenge on Samantha Rodriguez.
The breakthrough finally came in stoppage time. After playing with a numerical advantage, the The Columbians’ relentless pressure paid off in the dying minutes of the match.
Loboa proved to be the hero with a display of pure bravery. Her initial close-range shot was brilliantly blocked by Uzoma, but the ball rebounded right back into the danger zone. Without hesitating, Loboa slid into the chaos to bundle the rebound home, sealing a dramatic and decisive victory for her country. – With agency reports
What They Said…
“I am very emotional and we will keep working. A semi-final match is coming, and regardless of who the opponent is, there will be a group of Colombian players who are committed to this country, to each other and to the glory of playing a World Cup final.” – Carlos Paniagua, Colombia coach
“These matches are all about details, and we had constant faith that the goal would come. I’m very happy about scoring, but if any other player had scored I would be just as thrilled as I am now.” – Valerin Loboa, Colombia forward and Visa Player of the Match
