Bankole Olowookere, head coach of Nigeria’s U17 girls’ football team, the Flamingos, has emphasized his team’s determination to secure a victory in their upcoming FIFA U17 World Cup qualifying match against South Africa. The second-leg encounter, scheduled for Saturday at the Remo Stars’ Stadium, follows Nigeria’s 3-1 triumph in Pretoria last weekend.
Despite the seemingly advantageous position, Olowookere remains cautious, stating, “We are well aware that a match is never decided until the final whistle. Our 3-1 away win in South Africa doesn’t guarantee success; the tie remains open. This mindset has driven our preparations since returning from Pretoria.”
Shakirat Moshood and Harmony Chidi, who scored once and twice respectively in the first leg, have bolstered Nigeria’s confidence. However, Olowookere and his staff have focused intensely on reinforcing the team’s mental resilience. “We’ve stressed to the girls that maintaining focus is critical—no lapses in concentration will be tolerated. Our goal is clear: win on Saturday and advance to the final qualifying round,” he affirmed.
The coach pointed to a recent upset in the same qualifying series as a cautionary tale. Côte d’Ivoire’s U17 girls overturned a 3-1 home defeat by thrashing Burundi 3-0 away in their return leg. “That result reinforces our belief that nothing is settled yet. We have 90 minutes ahead, and we must play with full commitment and mental fortitude,” Olowookere noted.
Match officials arrived in Nigeria on Friday to oversee the 4 p.m. Saturday kickoff. The victor of this Nigeria-South Africa clash will face the winner of the Botswana-Algeria tie in next month’s final qualification round, with Botswana holding a slim 2-1 lead from their first leg at home.