Akindoju’s hat trick lifts Canada to 7 0 victory over Grenada in U17 soccer

ST. GEORGES, Grenada _ Teni Akindoju scored a hat trick as Canada secured its spot in the semifinals of the CONCACAF women’s under-17 soccer championships with a 7-0 win over Grenada.

Four different players scored for the undefeated Canadian side as Jordyn Huitema had two, and Nahida Baalbaki and Kennedy Faulknor scored one apiece.

Canada, second in Group A behind Haiti, will face the Haitians on Monday in the final group game. The semifinals are Friday, with the winner of each qualifying for the U17 women’s World Cup.

“Haiti will look to come out strong against us,” said Akindoju. “We will need to stick to our game plan and look to beat them (to win the group).”

Canada has participated in all four FIFA U-17 women’s World Cups since the biennial tournament was initiated in 2008, including three trips to the quarter-finals.

The Canadian Press