Head Coach of the U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingoes, Bankole Olowookere has released a team of 21 players ( 3 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 5 midfielders and 5 strikers) to represent Nigeria’s colours at this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals scheduled for October 11-30th in India.
The selected players also include midfield jewel Taiwo Afolabi, top scorer Opeyemi Ajakaye, first-choice goalkeeper Faith Omilana, defenders Comfort Folorunsho, Blessing Sunday and Miracle Usani, midfielders Blessing Emmanuel and Chidera Okenwa, and forwards Omowunmi Bello and Yetunde Ayantosho as part of Nigeria’s 21-girl squad for the 19 –day championship.
In qualifying for this tournament,the Flamingos played qualifying games, scored 15 goals and kept clean sheets in all. The girls trounced the Democratic Republic of Congo 8-0 on aggregate (3-0 in Kinshasa and 5-0 in Benin City) to reach the third round of the qualifying series. The Flamingoes qualified for the last round on a 6-0 aggregate, (defeating their Egyptian counterparts 4-0 in Abuja and 2-0 in Cairo) . The Nigerian ladies sealed their place after beating Ethiopa 1-0 by aggregate in the final round of the qualifiers. (1-0 victory faraway in Addis Ababa and a goal less draw in Abuja)
Players and officials of the Flamingos are scheduled to depart the shores of Nigeria on Monday, 26th September for a 10-day training camp in Turkey, before the delegation will jet off for India from Istanbul on 6th October.
Matches of this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will take place at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The Flamingos are drawn in Group B of the competition alongside Germany, Chile, New Zealand. Nigeria will kickstart their campaign against Germany in Goa on Tuesday, 11th October, starting at 8pm India time (4pm Nigeria time) before square up to New Zealand on Friday, 14th October also in Goa then fly to Bhubaneswar to take on Chile in the last game of the group stages on Monday, 17th October.
Since the competition was launched in New Zealand 14 years ago, Nigeria has only once been absent at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup – the 2018 edition staged in Uruguay.
FLAMINGOS FOR FIFA WORLD CUP
Goalkeepers: Faith Omilana; Linda Jiwuaku; Jessica Inyiama
Defenders: Olamide Oyinlola; Josephine Edafe; Comfort Folorunsho; Miracle Usani; Tumininu Adeshina; Blessing Sunday; Alase Attervall; Immaculata Offiong
Midfield: Chidera Okenwa; Blessing Emmanuel; Mary Aderemi; Bisola Mosaku; Taiwo Afolabi
Forward: Omowunmi Bello; Opeyemi Ajakaye; Edidiong Etim; Alvine Dah-Zossu; Yetunde Ayantosho