Kathrin Peter, however, insisted that her team deserved the victory against the Falconets based on their second half performance
By Kehinde Okeowo
Germany head coach, Kathrin Peter has praised the performance of the Falconets of Nigeria despite losing to her team.
The Europeans secured a place in the knockout round of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup currently ongoing in Columbia, following a 3-1 victory over Nigeria.
The former champions were rattled by the Falconets in the first half but dominated the game after the break.
Germany took the lead in the 17th minute with a header from 17-year-old Alara Sehitler, but Chiamaka Okwuchukwu equalised in the second half with a close-range finish.
However, Sehitler restored Germany’s lead on the hour mark, and Sarah Ernst sealed the win with a third goal in stoppage time.
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Speaking with FIFA.com after the encounter, Peter praised the Nigerian team but insisted her team deserved to claim the maximum points.
According to her, despite the Falconets’ impressive first half display, her team rallied round in the second half and took charge of the game.
She said, “It was a really tough match today. That was expected, but we actually had big problems in defence.”
Peter added, “They had a few chances where we had the necessary luck, we have to admit that.
“But in the second half, we were really good and asserted our dominance and I think we deserved to win in the end.”
With this victory, Germany secured their spot at the top of Group D, while Nigeria must earn a win against Venezuela in their final group match on Saturday to keep their hopes alive.