Chief Coach of Nigeria’s Under-17 women’s national team the Flamingos Bankole Olowookere has expressed optimism that his team will do well at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup billed to hold from October 11 to 30 in India, reports Completesports.com.
Olowookere who has been in camp in Abuja since August 30 said the Flamingos have trained to the point of pain and are almost ready to go.
Nigeria will play in Group B which also has Germany, Chile, and New Zealand
“We have been working very hard and playing a series of warm-up games and the response to training and game plan by the girls is what is giving me the optimism that we are going to India to do well. I know our group is a very difficult one with Germany, New Zealand, and Chile, but we will try and qualify for the knockout stage and forge ahead,” Olowookere told Completesports.com.
“I won’t say we are ready now but with the planned training tour proposed by the NFF and a little more tactical tweak in the way we played in the qualifying matches, we shall be a big threat to any country in India. I hope to trim the team to competition size before we travel probably next week.”
Asked how much he knows about Nigeria’s group opponents, Olowookere retorted: “I don’t know much, but the little we know we are working on. I hope to get clips of some of their qualifying matches to prepare for every game. We shall respect all our opponents, but we shall not fear them”
Completesports.com gathered that the Flamingos are scheduled to camp in Turkey for one week where they are expected to play one or two friendly matches before jetting to India for the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
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COMMENTS
I do hope the planned tour to Turkey materialises.
Good luck to the girls. They have it in their ranks to do Nigeria proud in India
How Will The Flamingos Fare Against Group Stage Foes in India?
Nigeria’s under-17 women’s team aka The Flamingoes have been aware for sometime now of the teams that stand between them and successful passage to the quarter-finals of the youth women’s world cup next month.
Germany, New Zealand and Chile are the names now etched in the minds of Bankole’s babes as they step up preparations for the tasks ahead.
Coach Bankole, whose team were unstoppable in qualifiers, expects to unleash a formidable outfit in the tournament. “[With] a little more tactical tweak in the way we played in the qualifying matches, we shall be a big threat to any country in India,” he declared.
So, how are the Flamingos expected on paper to fare against each of these teams?
I take a look at this below.
1) Germany: the European teenage ladies surprisingly do not have a stellar record in the tournament with a third place podium finish in 2008 as their greatest achievement to date at this level. However, they are the current European U-17 women’s champions.
Prognosis: without a shadow of doubt, Germany will provide the sternest test for the Flamingos in the group stages.
The Europeans, who are serial European championship winners, should bring to bear the world class level of efficiency, organisation and tactical acumen that Germany are known for in football in all levels across gender.
Nigeria have never faced Germany in the under-17 women’s world cup, so Bankole’s damsels will want to give a good account of themselves.
For me, looking through rose tinted glasses, the best case scenario for Nigeria is a draw against Germany.
2) Chile: the young South American ladies limped to this world cup by managing to win just 3 out of their 7 qualifiers with a minus 7 goals difference.
This will be their second outing in the Under-17 women’s world cup since 2010 where they crashed out in the group stages winless.
Prognosis: the omens are in Nigeria’s favour to run out winners against Chile. In the only game that Nigeria met Chile at this level of World Cup in 2010, Ordega (1), Ayila (a hattrick) and Okobi (1) powered the Flamingos to an emphatic 5:0 victory.
Without being disrespectful, this should be a sure-banker 3 points for the kitty for Bankole’s babes.
3) New Zealand : the ‘Young Female Ferns’, as they are known, have a pedigree in this tournament having won bronze medals once in 2018.
They are also serial winners in their continental championships with no less than 4 gold medals between 2010 and 2017.
Nigeria will be meeting New Zealand for this first time in this tournament’s history.
Prognosis: the dashing young ladies from Oceania present a potential banana skin for the Flamingos. One has to speculate that the battle for the second quarter final ticket in the group will be between Nigeria and New Zealand with Germany taking the top slot.
I will gamble on a slim victory for the Flamingos in this one but it will definitely not come easy.
In short, I firmly expect the Flamingos to navigate themselves out of the group where they will likely face the United States or Brazil in a mouthwatering quarter final.
With all due respect to all opponents, Nigeria should nonetheless beat Chile and NZ while pushing Germany for first place finish in the group. GOOD LUCK Flamingos!
Nigerian age-grade football teams stay the longedt in camp in the world!! Doing what?
In camp, they work on physical fitness and subsequently match fitness. In the process, they also play tune-up games wherein tactics are tested and players are evaluated, following which the squad is trimmed.
Just a week overseas tour not good enough.If you want your team to finish on the podium,then you got to do more in getting them ready for the arduous task or journey ahead.
At least 3 weeks tour of the United States,France,Spain or Portugal playing quality friendlies,this is how to prepare a team to bring you glory.
The current Nff led by Pinnick are focused on senior football,youth football is not their cup of tea hence the haphazard preparations.
We have done well this while because of the abundance of talent at youth level which has not been properly managed to give it’s maximum.
Hence why grassroots football has suffered the most under their leadership can’t wait for them to leave office and hopefully replaced by ones who knows what we truly need football-wise.
Who will pay for this tour of US, France, Spain or Portugal?