In anticipation of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, is set to depart Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday, 8th October, aboard Royal Air Maroc for Morocco, marking the final phase of their preparations for the tournament scheduled in the North African country in 2025.
The team will arrive in Casablanca, Morocco’s industrial and economic capital, where they will set up camp before travelling to Rabat for the tournament. While in Casablanca, the Flamingos will ramp up their preparations with two high-profile international friendlies: the first against New Zealand on 10 October, followed by a match with Paraguay on 14 October. They will then move to the official FIFA hotel in Rabat on 15 October, where all participating teams will be accommodated for the competition.
The Flamingos have been drawn in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa. Nigeria will begin their campaign against Canada on Sunday, 19 October, before facing France three days later. Both matches are scheduled for 8 p.m. Nigerian time at the Mohammed VI Football Academy (Pitch 2) and the Mohammed VI Football Academy (Pitch 1) in Sale. Their final group stage match will be against Samoa on 25 October, with kick-off set for 5 p.m. at the Mohammed VI Football Academy (Pitch 3), also in Sale.
Head Coach Bankole Olowookere’s squad enters the tournament brimming with confidence, having played 10 preparatory matches, scoring an impressive 44 goals without conceding any. Their dominant form in training, combined with a well-balanced squad, highlights their determination to surpass their quarter-final finish in the last edition held in the Dominican Republic.
