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Flamingos' head coach, Bankole Olowookere
Head coach of the Nigeria U-17 women’s team, Bankole Olowookere, can’t wait for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to get underway in Dominican Republic, believing their international friendly 1-1 against Mexico has primed the team for the tournament, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The gaffer bared his mind shortly after the team arrived at the tournament venue on Sunday following a 10-day intensive training camp at Estadio Cibao and Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where they were held by their Mexican counterparts.
Olowookere reckoned that the match gave them an inkling of what to expect in the competition and also helped the girls overcome the inferiority complex and a bit of the fear factor, adding that all that is left is for the competition to start.
He said, “The match against Mexico was an eye opener, and it put us in touch with what we are expecting at the World Cup proper.
“They are similar to our African kind of football, a bit robust. The match got us half-ready for the World Cup. The inferiority complex has been taken away; a bit of fear has been taken away. What we are waiting for is how it will happen at the World Cup.
“I have told them a story based on my last experience at the World Cup. The only thing we are waiting for is for the World Cup to start.”
Nigeria, who have participated in every edition of the competition since the inaugural edition in 2008, are lodged in Group A of the competition running from October 16 to November 3 alongside host nation Dominican Republic, New Zealand, and Ecuador.
The Flamingos are expected to open their campaign against New Zealand on October 16 at Estadio Cibao FC, Santiago de los Caballeros, take on Ecuador for their second at the same venue three days later, and round off preliminary assignments against Dominican Republic on October 22 at Estadio Félix Sánchez, Santo Domingo.
Nigeria reached the quarterfinals in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 editions, a jinx they broke at the 2022 edition by defeating USA in the quarterfinals via penalties after an entertaining and tightly-closed contest during regulation time that ended 1-1.
