- Flamingos coach admits a "disappointing start" but praises his team for bringing the "good game" needed against Samoa to secure the U17 World Cup Round of 16 spot.
- Coach Olowookere stresses the need to work on defensive areas where "they were able to penetrate" to prepare for the "strong opposition" awaiting the 2022 bronze medallists in the next phase.
Flamingos coach Bankole Olowookere has revealed the intense motivation driving the Flamingos during their crucial 4-0 win over Samoa, stating the team "had to bring a good game" to avoid an early exit from the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in Morocco.
The victory was non-negotiable for Nigeria, who needed a significant margin of victory to progress after a "disappointing start" to the tournament.
The Flamingos went into the Samoa match under pressure, having suffered a 1-4 reverse against Canada and a subsequent lone-goal defeat by France.
The team's desire to remain in the competition was the primary catalyst for their dominant performance, which saw Queen Joseph hit a brace, Captain Shakirat Moshood score from the penalty spot, and Azeezat Oduntan net the decisive fourth goal.
FOURmidable Nigeria enter the knockouts! 👌#U17WWC pic.twitter.com/FSJP5OSzRr
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) October 25, 2025
Olowookere acknowledged these initial setbacks, saying, "Our start was disappointing and we tried to make up for that," the coach explained in quotes relayed by FIFA after the game.
"The girls are happy now, they still want to take part in the tournament, they don't want to go home. So they just had to bring a good game to make sure that we could remain one of the contenders of this tournament," he continued.
Despite securing their spot in the Round of 16, Olowookere is already looking ahead and focusing on strategic improvements. He views the challenging group stage matches as the ideal preparation for the knockout rounds.
"It's good that we have strong opposition, to prepare us for the next game," he stated, referring to the high-calibre opponents faced.
While celebrating the emphatic win that saw the bronze medallists from the 2022 finals advance, the coach highlighted a key area for development. "We have to work on those areas where they were able to penetrate from our team," he concluded, signalling his intentions to improve the team's play ahead of the knockout stages.Ejim Kaycee
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