Nigeria's U17 girls, Flamingos, are set to face Mexico in the Round of 16 of the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco. The match will kick off at 3pm Morocco time, which is 4pm in Nigeria. A win for the Flamingos will see them advance to the quarter-finals of the competition. The team has been preparing well for the match, with Head Coach Hakeem Busari urging his charges to focus on the intensity of knockout-stage football.
The clash with Mexico is a reminder of both teams' encounter in the group stage at the 2014 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup finals. During that match, which took place on 23rd March 2014 at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San José, the Flamingos trounced the Mexicans 3-0 in a Group D encounter. Rasheedat Ajibade, Uchenna Kanu, and Aminat Yakubu were the scorers in that match. Interestingly, the trio have since moved to the senior team and become mainstays of the Super Falcons.
At the final training session on Wednesday, Head Coach Hakeem Busari told his charges to forget about their group stage wins over Puerto Rico and Cup-holders Korea DPR. He emphasized the need for the team to focus on the intensity of knockout-stage football. Busari will be able to select from his full squad of 21 players for the match against Mexico.
Several key players are likely to start for the Flamingos, including in-form goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho and defenders Azeezat Oduntan, Ohunene Sunday, Esther Stephen, and Kanyinsola Rodiat Yusuf. Favour Nkwocha and Tosin Rafiu, who saw action with the Falconets at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Poland last month, and Mary Dunstan may still run the middle.
Oluebube Umejiaku and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, with two goals each in the competition, may still be preferred upfront, although Precious Oscar and captain Harmony Chidi, who was benched for last Friday's clash with the world champions, are possible starters. The team has been boosted by a visit from the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme.
Dr Ikpeme visited the Flamingos at their afternoon training session in Rabat, urging the team to put their victory over Korea DPR behind them and focus on the next challenge. He encouraged the players to remain focused and determined as they prepare for the knockout clash, reminding them of the task ahead as they continue their World Cup campaign.
The Flamingos will look to build on their impressive form in the competition so far, with the team's confidence high after their wins over Puerto Rico and Korea DPR. With a strong squad and good preparation, the team will be looking to cause an upset against Mexico and advance to the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
Key points
- The Flamingos face Mexico in the Round of 16 of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco today.
- A win for the Flamingos will see them advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.
- The team has been boosted by a visit from the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme.
