Fifa Women’s WC: Australia, Nigeria progress 

Sydney, Aug 1:  host Australia trounced Canada 4-0, advancing to the Round of 16, while Nigeria also moved forward despite a 0-0 draw with debutant Ireland at the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Monday. Australia concluded the group stage at the top of Group B with six points, while Nigeria secured second place with five points. Olympic champion Canada was eliminated with four points, and Ireland claimed its first-ever World Cup point from the draw, reports Xinhua. Rebounding from a surprising 3-2 defeat to Nigeria, Australia delivered a superb performance before an audience of 27,706 fans in Melbourne. The attack-minded Australia, unfazed by the previous setback, saw Hayley Raso score twice in the first half as the Matildas took control. Striker Mary Fowler and Steph Catley added goals in the second half, ending Canada’s disappointing campaign. “I’m so proud of the girls. Everybody fought for each other, and to come away with a pretty convincing win is very exciting,” Raso said. “I think we had our backs to the wall after the last game, and we knew that we needed to come out and put in a big performance. We showed that never-say-die attitude and gave it our all tonight.” The game in Brisbane failed to impress, but the result was enough for Nigeria to reach the Round of 16. Nigeria forward Uchenna Kanu thought she had finally broken Ireland’s resistance in the 51st minute, but her powerful header was brilliantly saved by acrobatic goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan. This was the best opportunity of the game, and Nigeria’s players celebrated after the final whistle knowing they had secured a spot in the knockout stage. Earlier, Japan thrashed Spain 4-0 in an upset, signalling a strong warning ahead of their clash with Norway in the Round of 16. The Asian heavyweight seized the top position of Group C aggressively, scoring three goals during a dominant first half.