The head coach of the Nigeria U-17 female side, Bankole Olowookere has assured that his side is up to the task as the seventh edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals kicks off today in India.
The Flamingos begin their campaign against Germany in the second Group B match, which will be played at the Pandit Jawaharlal Stadium in Goa at 8 p.m. India time (4 p.m. Nigeria time).
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The competition’s official opening match will be played between hosts India and the United States at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Prior to that, at 12.30 p.m. Nigerian time, group B rivals Chile and New Zealand will square off in Goa, and group A rivals Morocco and Brazil will do battle in Bhubaneswar.
“We are excited to be starting the tournament by playing against one of the strongest women’s teams in the universe. It is a good challenge because if you’re going to win trophies, you must beat the best teams.
“Our focus is on getting the three points at stake, which will boost our confidence for the remaining games of the group phase and going forward in the competition.”
“Playing a strong team at the beginning should not present any apprehension. It is an opportunity to start with your best team and best tactics, and be vigilant to utilise the opportunities and possibilities that present themselves within the 90 minutes,” Olowookere added.
After a 10-day training camp in the Turkish city of Kocaeli, and a barnstorming African qualifying campaign that saw them winning five of six matches against the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Ethiopia, Olowokeere believes his Flamingos are ready for the big duels.
After their first match of the campaign against Germany in Goa today, Nigeria will take on 2018 World Cup bronze medalists New Zealand on Friday, 14th October also in Goa (as from 12.30pm), before flying to Bhubaneswar to take on Chile on Monday, 17th October (also as from 12.30pm).
