Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos will kickstart their chase for a ticket to this year’s FIFA U17 World Cup finals with a second round, first leg tie against their counterparts of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa on Sunday.
The Flamingos, quarter finalists at the FIFA World Cup finals in 2010, 2012 and 2014, have been in camp for some weeks in the Federal Capital, Abuja and Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has selected 20 players who will do the battle with the characteristically –feisty Congolese on Sunday.
In the squad are two goalkeepers, seven defenders, four midfielders and seven forwards.
Nigeria have participated in every edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, bar one, since the tournament was launched in New Zealand in 2018. The only finals the Flamingos have missed remain the 2018 finals staged in Uruguay, when they were tripped at the final hurdle by Cameroon on the away-goal rule.
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The return leg is scheduled for the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Saturday, 19th March, with the winner over two legs to clash with the Egyptian U17 girls in the third round of the African qualifying campaign next month.
The Nigeria delegation to Kinshasa will depart the shores of Nigeria on Friday.
FLAMINGOS HEADING TO KINSHASA
Goalkeepers: Faith Omilana; Linda Jiwuaku
Defenders: Blessing Sunday; Comfort Folorunsho; Confidence Uwoha; Tumininu Adeshina; Mamusoz Edafe; Miracle Usani; Olamide Oyinlola
Midfielders: Blessing Emmanuel; Taiwo Afolabi; Chidera Okenwa; Aminat Bello
Forwards: Sofiat Bankole; Dah-Zossu Alvine; Anastasia Atume; Kafayat Bashiru; Raheemot Adebayo; Joy Igbokwe; Opeyemi Ajakaye
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Good luck damsels. Make sure you bring distress to the young lady leopards of Congo. It promises to be an enthralling encounter as the Congolese ladies are fired up for this encounter.
Congo: we can make Nigeria weep
As the crucial winner-takes-all double header under 17 women’s world cup qualifiers between Nigeria and Congo draw ever closer, members of the Congolese team have effectively thrown down the gauntlet.
Speaking on their training ground to TV network CGTN Africa, their goalkeeper and coach were emphatic in stating their readiness to flatten the Flamingoes of Nigeria across two legs.
“We have a good spirit and we are working towards defeating our opponents (Nigeria) when we meet them,” said a supremely confident goalkeeper Michealla Luluemba.
That sentiment was echoed by Congo Under 17 Women’s coach Lry Mafobe who said boldly: “we have a very good team who have potential……. We won’t fear the Nigerian team because we are up to the task.”
Damsel Congo Striker Chrismie Pingi Saka on her own part encouraged the home fans to come out in droves to watch their match as they won’t be disappointed in how the team will play against Nigeria.
“Our supporters shouldn’t be discouraged,” she said. “They should come to watch us; they keep complaining we don’t play well. I am challenging them to come and watch our match (against Nigeria), they will be happy.”
The Flamingoes, for themselves, are also busy preparing ruthlessly for the encounter by defeating local club sides with insane score lines like 12:0. Having missed the last tournament, they are eager to make up for lost times.
This 1st round of qualifiers are scheduled to take place between the 6th and 19th of March with Nigeria playing the first leg away.
Only three teams from Africa will eventually qualify for the World Cup after three rounds of qualifiers.
https://youtu.be/js8XcrSIOak
_ Nigeria Ready to Crush Congo _
The NFF has released the list of 20 ruthlessly efficient under 17 damsels expected to bring distress to their Congolese counterparts across two legs of second round world cup qualifiers this March.
The away leg is set for the 6th in Kinshasa Congo whilst the home leg on the 19th will be played in Benin City.
Nigeria contingent fly out to Kinshasa this Friday.
The Congolese team have been talking tough stating that they are very ready to dress the Flamingos down in their neck of the woods. The Nigerian ladies have also be boasting, but theirs have been on the pitch by demolishing opponents in tune up matches.
As Nigeria failed to qualify for the last edition of the tournament, coach Bankole is pulling out all the stops to ensure the West African juggernauts qualify for this year’s tournament in India slated for October.
From the likes of fantastic Faith Omilana in goal to authentic Alvine Dah-Zossu as the arrow head, the Flamingos are out to obliterate their opponents.
That said, it is not expected to be a stroll in the park for Nigeria as the Congolese promise to put up a ferocious fight.
But with three quarter final achievements in previous under 17 women’s world cup tournaments, an illustrious female senior national team set up and a decent domestic female football set up, the Flamingos have experience, quality, reputation and pedigree on their side.
Egypt lie in wait in the next round for the winner of this tie.
Flamingos Squad for Congo:
Goalkeepers: Faith Omilana (Honey Baggers); Linda Jiwuaku (Club Unknowing)
Defenders: Blessing Sunday (Edo Queens); Comfort Folorunsho (Delta Queens); Confidence Iwoha (Club Unknown); Tumininu Adesina (Naija Ratels); Mamuzo Edafe (Club Unknown); Miracle Usani (Abia Angels); Olamide Oyinlola (Club Unknown)
Midfielders: Blessing Emmanuel (Club Unknown); Taiwo Afolabi (Delta Queens);
Chidera Okenwa (Club Unknown); Aminat Bello (SGH Amazons).
Attackers: Sofiat Bankole (Club Unknown); Alvine Dah-Zossu (Osun Babes); Anastasia Atume (Club Unknown); Kafayat Bashiru (Club Unknown); Raheemot Adebayo (FC Robo); Joy Igbokwe (Club Unknown); Opeyemi Ajakaye (Club Unknown)
Meet the Formidable, Fearless and Flamboyant Flamingos Goalkeepers
Leading up to the much anticipated second round Under 17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Congo, Nigeria’s Flamingos goalkeeping department is very much in solid and safe hands.
The fabulous, fearsome fivesome of Linda Jiwuaku (Club Unknowing), Christiana Uzoma (Nasarawa Amazons); Faith Omilana (Honey Baggers); Jessica Inyama (Immaculate Queens); and Odinaka Nweke (Rivers Angels) were all in inspired form as the team prepares for a compelling performance against Congo.
This has now been whittled down to just 2 for the cracking yet crucial Congo clash. These are Faith Omilana and Linda Jiwuaku. We haven’t heard the last of the dropped goalkeepers as they have a huge, vibrant and exciting future ahead of them.
In one of their tune up matches this month, these delightful damsels kept a clean sheet in the 13:0 whitewashing of WACO Ladies in Abuja. They just can’t be breached; a foretaste of the difficulties Congo can expect to face in trying to get anything out of this encounter.
In the recently concluded senior Afcon Women’s qualifier away to Ivory Coast, Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie pulled a rabbit out her hat with a penalty save of deluxe quality to keep the pendulum squarely swinging in Nigeria’s favour. In fact, in Chiamaka Nnadozie and Tochukwu Oluehi, Nigeria boasts of arguably two of best women goalkeepers in the continent presently.
These Flamingoes goalkeepers of Jiwuaku,Uzoma, Omilana, Inyama and Nweke all expect to follow in the fantastic footsteps of their Super Falcons elder sisters.
And they all come across as being precocious with net-minding skills that both exciting and compelling.
Strong, forceful performances in the qualifiers will see them play at the Under 17 World Cup where their unique skills will be on display for all to see.
And hopefully, the selected first choice goalkeeper can help Nigeria break new grounds at the World Cup by going beyond the quarter finals this time around, should they qualify.
But for now, it’s one qualifier at a time. The Congo contest will be another opportunity to see what these qualitiy colleens can conjure.
Fans are neck deep in anticipation!
.Intrepid Falconets Defeat Male Team.
In advance of their winner-takes-all world cup qualifiers against stylish Senegal this month, Nigeria’s U20 women’s side aka the Falconets dismantled the Sports Dreams U14 Boys team in a hugely impressive 3-1 win this week.
In this tune up match, meant to help polish aspects of the Falconets’ strategy, tactics and applications, the male side through Paul Ugwu drew first blood to make it 1:0 and perhaps suggest that girls have no business playing boys regardless of any age gap.
However, Esther Onyenezide didn’t read that script as she stunned the boys and probably herself with a goal that was as jaw dropping as it was a statement of intent, 1:1 the scoreline at that stage.
With the boys still wandering what hit them, Taiwo Lawal tore the back of the net with an emphatic drive to make it 2:1 for the fabulous Falconets. The boys were stunned! For though they were a few years younger than the ladies, they thought a victory for them was a forgone conclusion.
Still reeling, the boys were to have a final sting in their already bruised tails as the now rampant Falconets gave them the kiss of death with Lawal securing her brace to send a message to Senegal and totally demoralise the boys.
3:1 it ended.
This warm up match is a morale booster for the Falconets who are aiming to snatch the World Cup ticket on offer against Senegal.
Having scored a total of 7 unrepied goals against Congo and Cameroon in the previous rounds of qualifiers, the Falconets have no intentions of pulling their feet of the goals scoring pedal against Senegal.
These ones are trained to show no mercy. They can’t be reasoned with, they can’t be bargained with. This Falconets will not stop until they
annihilate their protagonists, male or female.
The first away leg is slated for Friday 11th of March while the second in Nigeria is on the 25th.
The Falconets, who have appeared in 9 World Cups, are silver medallists on 2 occasions in the tournament.
Correction: **annihilate their antagonists**