Africa’s representatives endured another difficult day at the 12th FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, with Benin Republic and Tanzania suffering heavy defeats that have raised fresh concerns about the continent’s performance on the global stage.

Sports247 reports that Benin Republic, making their debut at the tournament, were brutally exposed by Argentina in Group A, suffering an 8-0 defeat, while Tanzania’s Twiga Stars were thrashed 5-1 by England in Group B.

The results underline the challenging gap African teams continue to face against some of the world’s established women’s football nations, with the continent struggling to make the desired impact in the early stages of the competition.

Tanzania’s defeat was particularly painful as Nigeria-born Princess Ademiluyi helped England establish early control. The youngster opened the scoring in the ninth minute after connecting with Lia Vivienne, who later provided the assist for Jessie Gale to score England’s fifth goal.

The Young Lionesses, bronze medallists in 2018 and appearing at the tournament for the fifth time, dominated large periods of the encounter.

Rachel Maltby was the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick, with all three goals coming from the penalty spot. She converted in the 15th minute after Lidya Vivienne was penalised, before scoring again in the 43rd minute after Elizabeth Mutimi conceded another penalty.

Mutimi was penalised again two minutes later, allowing Maltby to complete her hat-trick and further compound Tanzania’s misery.

Jamila Mnuduka scored Tanzania’s only goal in the 65th minute, but was forced off with an injury three minutes later.

Tanzania’s defeat leaves them facing a difficult final group match against Canada, while England will meet Brazil in the group’s headline fixture. Brazil currently lead Group B with six points after a 3-0 victory over Canada, with England on four points.

In Group A, Benin’s 8-0 humiliation against Argentina leaves the debutants with just one point and a daunting final encounter against hosts Poland, who defeated Mexico 2-1 and lead the group with six points, Sports247 gathered.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Black Princesses are also under pressure in Group C after losing 3-0 to Ecuador in their opening fixture. Ghana will face Korea in their next outing.

With several African representatives already struggling, the continent will need a significant turnaround in fortunes to avoid another disappointing showing at the global youth tournament. The remaining group matches now carry enormous importance for Africa’s hopes of progressing deeper into the competition.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure communities affected by terrorism and facilitate the safe and dignified return of displaced Nigerians to their ancestral homes.

Obi made the call after visiting an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where more than 500 displaced persons were taking refuge.

The former Anambra State governor disclosed this in a statement posted on his social media platforms on Wednesday, a day after his delegation was prevented from proceeding to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where he had planned to visit victims of recent attacks.

According to Obi, the situation confronting displaced persons in Mangu was “deeply disturbing”, with more than 45,000 people reportedly displaced and over 20 communities allegedly sacked by terrorists.

He said the affected residents were Nigerians seeking to return to their communities, rebuild their homes, cultivate their farms and resume their livelihoods in safety.

“As I have always maintained, as long as there is one displaced Nigerian, all Nigerians are displaced,” Obi said.

He urged the government to do more to protect communities affected by insecurity and restore public confidence, stressing that the right to life, safety, dignity and livelihood must be guaranteed to every citizen regardless of ethnicity, religion, location or political affiliation.

Obi also warned against allowing displaced Nigerians to become forgotten citizens, insisting that the government had a responsibility to create the conditions necessary for their safe return and reconstruction of their communities.

“Our displaced citizens must not become forgotten Nigerians. They are citizens of our country whose homes, livelihoods and futures have been disrupted,” he said.

The NDC candidate added that the government must secure affected communities while providing adequate support for displaced families to rebuild their lives.

He concluded the visit by providing what he described as modest support to the displaced families as a demonstration of solidarity and compassion.

Obi said the Nigeria he envisioned was one where citizens could “live, work, farm, raise a family and pursue their dreams in peace and security.”

Meanwhile, the NDC in Benue State has condemned the reported attack on Obi’s convoy during his visit to Makurdi, accusing supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to intimidate the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.

The party, through its Publicity Secretary, Agile Ordedoo Bem, described the incident as “senseless” and unacceptable, alleging that it reflected growing intolerance toward opposition voices in the state.

Obi had travelled to Makurdi to commiserate with victims and families affected by the recent deadly attacks in Yelwata.

The NDC alleged that youths attacked his convoy during the visit, throwing stones and chanting slogans including, “Obi should go back,” “Tinubu must stay,” and “No Alia, No Benue.”

The party said the incident was particularly troubling against the backdrop of recurring attacks on communities across the state.

The NDC state chairman, Ohini Ojegbe, subsequently appealed to residents who desired a peaceful and prosperous Benue to reject political intimidation and support what he described as credible and responsible leadership.

He said the party remained committed to rule of law, justice, accountability, inclusion and service.

The party also called on security agencies to investigate the incident and prosecute anyone found to have participated in, sponsored or facilitated the alleged attack.

The NDC further alleged that relief materials worth billions of naira brought by Obi for victims of the Yelwata attacks were looted by hoodlums during the incident.

It consequently urged security authorities to recover the materials and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.