Nigeria Women's U17 forward, Harmony Chidi expressed delight over winning the Player of the Match award for her contribution during the 4-0 victory over Ecuador on Saturday.
Chidi's impressive performance, which included scoring the second goal and providing an assist, earned her the Player of the Match accolade.
The game kicked off with Shakirat Moshood converting a penalty in the 27th minute, awarded after a VAR review confirmed a foul on captain Taiwo Afolabi inside the box.
Chidi extended Nigeria's lead in the 54th minute, breaking her scoring drought with a well-placed shot, courtesy of a brilliant assist from Peace Effiong.
Just twelve minutes later, Effiong added to the tally, capitalizing on defensive lapses from the Ecuadorian side to secure Nigeria's third goal.
In the dying moments of the match, Moshood capped off the victory by scoring her second goal, tapping in Chidi's pass during the sixth minute of stoppage time.
During the post-match reaction , a jubilant Chidi expressed her happiness at winning the Player of the Match award, attributing her success to the support of her teammates and coaches.
"I am the happiest person on earth. This is a dream come true and I am very happy and bless God for it because it is not by my own strength by doing well. If my teammates didn't support me to play and my didn't encourage me to play and my God also there I don't believe I will be the Man of the Match and highest goal scorer in the qualifiers. I don't know how to express it because all over me is joy," she stated.
The 14-year-old forward also reflected on the encouragement she received during a challenging opening match against New Zealand, where she failed to score despite her team's victory.
"Even when it seems like it is not working, you see my coach encouraging me, even my fellow players encouraging me to do well giving me the courage that I can do it. I am very happy."
Chidi thanked her fans for their unwavering support and expressed her determination to continue performing well throughout the tournament.
"I thank you my fans outside there. I believe that me and my teammates will make it count for you people," she concluded.
Chidi failed to hit the back of the net despite Nigeria's 4-1 victory over New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament.
The performance led to questions about her form - during the tournament, despite finishing as the highest goal scorer in the qualifiers with 13 goals.
With this crucial goal, Chidi aims to maintain her scoring form as Nigeria seeks to make history by clinching the tournament trophy for the first time.
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