Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team are sharpening their edges ahead of next month’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, posting back-to-back friendly victories in Abuja, Soccernet.ng reports.
On Friday, Bankole Olowookere’s side edged Horvel Angels 2-0. Chisom Nwachukwu punished a goalkeeping slip to open the scoring before Kaosara Olanrewaju doubled the advantage with a calm finish in the second half.
Less than 24 hours later, the girls were back on the pitch, showing an even more ruthless side to their play. The Flamingos tore through Nazareth Angels 5-0, in a display of raw attacking firepower. Two first-half strikes set the tone, and Itodore Destiny added a third after the restart. Terlumu Tabitha and Nwachukwu rounded off the emphatic display, though the margin could easily have been bigger given the chances created.
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The results show growing cohesion in both attack and defence, with the squad now operating at near full strength.
Every invited player is in camp, giving Olowookere and his staff plenty of options to fine-tune ahead of their Group D opener.
Nigeria’s task in Morocco is a demanding one. Drawn against 2012 champions France, experienced campaigners Canada, and debutants Samoa, the Flamingos must navigate a group that blends pedigree with unpredictability.
France arrive for their fourth appearance and are tipped among the favourites, while Canada boast eight tournament qualifications and a fourth-place finish in 2018. Samoa, meanwhile, enter the world stage for the first time after winning Oceania’s U16 crown in 2024.
This will be Nigeria’s seventh outing at the U17 Women’s World Cup, having only missed the 2018 edition. The Flamingos reached the quarter-finals three times before breaking new ground in 2022, when they stunned the USA on penalties en route to a third-place finish.
Nigeria booked their ticket to Morocco by sweeping aside Algeria and South Africa in qualifying, and expectations are high they can at least match, if not surpass, their historic 2022 run.
The 2025 edition will be the biggest yet, featuring 24 nations for the first time.
Six groups of four will battle it out, with the top two and four best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 16. Morocco will make history as the first African nation to host the U17 Women’s World Cup, with matches running from 17 October to 8 November.