Bankole Olowookere, the Head Coach of Nigeria’s U17 girls, the Flamingos, has expressed confidence in the team’s chances of qualifying for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup following their recent match against Burkina Faso’s U17 girls in Bamako, Mali.
Despite ending in a 1-1 draw, Olowookere praised the support of Nigerians based in Bamako, which bolstered the Flamingos‘ morale during the first leg.
Upon their return to Abuja on Tuesday, Olowookere called on Nigerians in the capital and its environs to rally behind the Flamingos at the MKO Abiola National Stadium for the return leg against Burkina Faso on Saturday.
He emphasized the importance of support from the stands as the team aims to secure victory and progress to the final round of qualification.
“We appreciate the unwavering support of Nigerians for the Flamingos,” Olowookere stated.
“But we urge everyone, especially those in Abuja, to come out and support us this weekend as we face Burkina Faso in the return leg. The Flamingos are determined to make the nation proud by securing a win and advancing to the final round of qualification.”
Confident in the team’s abilities, Olowookere highlighted their goal of surpassing their previous third-place finish in the 2022 World Cup in India. Despite Burkina Faso’s late equalizer in the previous match, Olowookere remains optimistic about the Flamingos’ chances.
“I have the players to do the job. All we are asking for is support from the stands. Our objective is to not only win the ticket but to go to the World Cup and surpass our last outing of third-place finish in India in 2022.”
With victory over Burkina Faso, the Flamingos will advance to the final qualifying fixture against the winner of the Senegal/Liberia matchup. As Senegal holds a 3-1 lead heading into the second leg, Olowookere and the Flamingos are focused on securing their place in the next stage of the competition.
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