June 12 (UPI) -- South Korea fell behind 1-0 to Nigeria after scoring in its own net in the first half of a group stage clash at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Wednesday in Grenoble, France.
The heart-breaking mistake came in the 29th minute of the Group A matchup. Nigeria was on the attack at the start of the sequence. Striker Desire Oparanozie was fielding a long overhead pass during the play. The ball fell to her left, inside of the box.
South Korean defender Kim Do-yeon got to the ball first and attempted to clear it from danger. She tapped the ball with her right boot. The flick rolled past South Korean goalie Min-Jeong Kim and into the net, giving Nigeria a 1-0 advantage.
Kim Do-yeon clapped her hands in frustration and patted Min-Jeong Kim on the shoulder to atone for her mistake.
Officials reviewed the play with video assistant referee (VAR) to find out if Oparanozie put a hand on the ball, but determined no infraction was committed during the sequence, allowing the goal to stand.
South Korea wraps up the group stage with a game against Norway at 3 p.m. Monday in Reims, France. Nigeria takes on host France at 3 p.m. Monday in Rennes.
France entered Wednesday's slate as the Group A leader with a 1-0 record and a plus-4 goal differential. Norway is also 1-0 and has a plus-3 goal differential. Nigeria and Korea each lost their first group stage clashes.
