Poland 2026: How Kareem Ramotalahi Hat-Trick Fires Nigeria to Second Place in Group F
Nigeria’s Falconets secured their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026 in emphatic fashion, thrashing New Caledonia 10-1 to finish second in Group F.
Ramotalahi Kareem was the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick as Moses Aduku’s side produced their most commanding display of the tournament at Stadion Miejski ŁKS Łódź on Sunday.
Kareem opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 17th minute after Tosin Rafiu was brought down following a brilliant run past three defenders. Rebecca Adegbemile doubled Nigeria’s advantage two minutes later with a header before Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute.
Kareem then added her second in the 27th minute to give the Falconets a commanding 4-0 lead at half-time.
Nigeria continued their dominance after the restart, with Winner Onajite David converting a penalty in the 60th minute before Kareem completed her hat-trick four minutes later.
Rafiu got on the scoresheet in the 70th minute with a fine effort from outside the box, while Adegbemile completed her brace in the 74th minute.
David added her second in the 75th minute to take Nigeria’s tally to 9, although New Caledonia found a late consolation through Joceline Kourevi in the 89th minute but David Winner completed her hattrick in the 90+4 minute to restore the 9 goals margin as Nigeria ran to a 10-1 victory.
Kareem was subsequently named the Visa Player of the Match after her influential performance.
The emphatic victory lifted Nigeria into second place in Group F behind Spain, who finished top with a perfect nine points after defeating China PR 3-1 in the other group fixture.
China, despite the defeat, advanced to the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams, while New Caledonia were eliminated.
The Falconets now turn their attention to the knockout stage, carrying the confidence of a 10-goal performance into the next phase of the competition.
Results at a Glance
Nigeria 10-1 New Caledonia
- Ramotalahi Kareem — 17′, 27′, 64′
- Rebecca Adegbemile — 19′, 74′
- Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei — 23′
- Winner Onajite David — 60′, 75′, 90+4′
- Tosin Rafiu — 70′
