Nigeria’s Flamingos began their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Canada in their Group D opener on Sunday in Salé.
After conceding an early goal, the Flamingos showed resilience. They equalized through a goal from Queen Joseph midway through the first half.
However, the second half saw a collapse in defense. A series of individual mistakes allowed Canada to score three more times, securing a decisive victory.
Coach Olowookere’s Post-Match Reaction
Head coach Bankole Olowookere expressed clear frustration after the match. He identified poor finishing and defensive errors as the primary reasons for the heavy defeat.
“It was a huge game. Sometimes there are mistakes, and that’s what gives away goals,” he stated in his post-match briefing. “We also had our chances, but we didn’t take advantage of them, and we paid dearly for it.”
Focus Shifts to France
Despite the disappointment, Olowookere urged his team to treat the result as a learning experience. He emphasized the need to immediately shift focus to their next match against France on Wednesday.
“I think it’s a learning lesson,” he said. “We have to go back, watch what happened, and correct it ahead of the next games.”
The coach confirmed that winning is the only objective moving forward. Victory against France is crucial to keep their tournament hopes alive.
“All that we need now is winning,” he added. “That’s what will keep us in the tournament because we want to remain here. We want to do everything possible, in our training, in our strategy, to win the next game.”
The Flamingos currently sit at the bottom of Group D. They must defeat France in their next match to maintain any hope of advancing to the knockout stages.
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