Football: England reach the quarter-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout against Nigeria

Nigeria did not back down in the round of 16 against European champion England. The Greens started the game promisingly with Leicester-born Ashley Plumpeter hitting a shot that rebounded off the crossbar after just over a quarter of an hour.

England's lead hung in the air when referee Melissa Borjas suddenly awarded a penalty ten minutes before half-time. Rachel Daly fell easily to the ground after her duel with Rasheedat Ajibade and then Borjas reversed his decision after a VAR review.

The second blow in the rib for Nigeria

Nigeria opened the second half with another goal, this time from a Kanu header. The two teams did not score any goals against each other during regular time, and the match extended to extra time. Despite the numerical superiority, after James' intelligence declined, Nigeria failed to take a decision and the round of 16 went to penalties.

Georgia Stanway opened with a long shot but England eventually won the shootout 4-2 after Chloe Kelly's decisive penalty. Amid the scenes of joy, the champion came forward and comforted the Nigerian goalkeeper, who collapsed after the decision.

'We dig deep'

-It's an incredible feeling. We can handle anything thrown at us. We dig deep and believe in our ability. This team is special. “We'll keep moving forward and there's more to collect,” says main character Kelly.

Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nadozi after the exit:

– It's a disappointing result but I'm very proud of this team. We showed the whole world what we are made of. We'll go back to the drawing board, work out our mistakes and come back again.

Watch highlights of the FIFA World Cup on SVT Play.

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