THE Flamingos of Nigeria have been drawn to face Italy in the round of 16 of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, with a spot in the quarter-finals on offer.
Both countries will be meeting tomorrow for the first time at this stage of the competition, with Italy in much better form.
Italy secured three wins — 4-3 over Brazil, 3-1 over Morocco and 3-0 over Costa Rica — and topped Group A with maximum points.
The Flamingos, on the other hand, scraped through as one of the best third-placed teams, after the opening 4-1 loss to Canada and 1-0 defeat to France.
They recovered well with a decisive 4-0 victory over Samoa to earn their spot in the round of 16.
The Flamingos will be hoping to improve on their dismal group phase performances and contend for a spot in the quarter-finals against the in-form Europeans.
The Italians, spearheaded by Giulia Galli, who leads the tournament in goals with five, will be full of confidence as they try to extend their winning streak.
Tomorrow night’s clash is scheduled to kick off at 8pm in Rabat.