The coach of the Nigeria Under-17 female football team, the Flamingos, Bankole Olowookere, said that merit would be his guiding principle in player selection ahead of the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Olowookere told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Abuja that in spite of being drawn in a tough group, the team would excel in the group stage.
The coach expressed confidence in his team’s ability to have an outstanding record in the championship.
“We will work hard and make Nigeria proud.
The team’s preparation is already underway, and we promise to bring a strong team to the tournament.
“We will select quality players to represent the country. We will not take the competition lightly.
‘We will bring something good to Nigeria and make every Nigerian happy, wherever they are,” he said.
The coach said that the team needs to rise to the challenge due to the group they find themselves in.
“We know that every team will come fully prepared for the World Cup, so we will start immediate preparation and intensify our strategic training.
“We are meeting the best teams from each continent, so we must be on top of our game. We will continue to work hard to surpass our previous positions in the World Cup.,” he said.
NAN reports that Flamingos were drawn into Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa.
This will be Nigeria’s eighth appearance in the tournament, and the team aims to build on their past successes, including their bronze medal win in 2022.
For the first time, 24 countries will take part in the tournament, which is the ninth edition since the competition was launched 17 years ago in New Zealand.
The 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Morocco from Oct. 17 to Nov.8.(NAN)
