Nigeria took their chances against the run of play to beat South Korea for a rare success at the Women’s World Cup that set them up to advance to the knockout stages.

A first-half own goal at the Stade des Alps in Grenoble and a breakaway attack, brilliantly finished by Asisat Oshoala, gave the Africa champions only their fourth win in eight World Cup finals appearances and a chance to go to the next phase for only the second time.

South Korea, beaten 4-0 by France in the tournament’s opening game last Friday, are in considerable trouble after a surprise setback in their second Group A match.

Nigeria 2-0 South Korea: Women's World Cup 2019 – as it happened Read more

After weathering early attacks, Nigeria went ahead when the defender Kim Do-yeon miscued an effort to try to clear a long ball through the middle and steered it past her goalkeeper, Kim Min-jung, who had come rushing out and was stranded.

There was a lengthy VAR review to see whether Nigeria’s captain, Desire Oparanozie, might have brushed the ball with her hand as it headed towards the net but there was no conclusive evidence to rule out the goal.

South Korea were pulled back for offside when they found the net in the 58th minute before Oshoala, a three-times Africa women’s player of the year, ran half the length of the field on a counterattack, brushed past a defender, rounded the goalkeeper and squeezed the ball home from an almost improbable angle.

She might have scored in similar fashion shortly afterwards but a heavy first touch saw the opportunity slip away.

Nigeria lost their opening game 3-0 to Norway in Reims on Saturday.