Nigeria’s Flamingos started their 2025 FIFA U-17 Ladies’s World Cup marketing campaign on a disappointing notice, struggling a 4-1 defeat to Canada of their opening Group D match on the Mohammed VI Soccer Academy in Salé, Morocco, on Sunday evening.
Canada made a dream begin, taking the lead inside two minutes via Gabriela Istocki, who completed calmly after a advantageous run by Molly Hale.
Nigeria responded nicely and steadily took management, with captain Shakirat Moshood testing goalkeeper Khadijah Cisse from distance.
Their persistence paid off on the half hour when Queen Joseph bundled residence a rebound after Kaosarat Olanrewaju’s shot slipped via Cisse’s arms, leveling the rating at 1-1.
The second half, nonetheless, belonged to the Canadians. Substitute Melisa Kekic restored their lead within the 73rd minute with a exact low strike, earlier than Julia Amireh capitalised on a dealing with error by Nigeria’s goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface to make it 3-1.
Amireh then added her second six minutes from time to seal a dominant 4-1 victory.
Regardless of the scoreline, the Flamingos confirmed flashes of promise however had been undone by defensive lapses and moments of inexperience.
Head coach Bankole Olowookere will likely be hoping for a swift response when his crew faces France on Wednesday in a must-win encounter to revive their marketing campaign.
This yr’s match marks the primary time the FIFA U-17 Ladies’s World Cup is being held in Africa, with Morocco enjoying host.
It’s Nigeria’s eighth look on the competitors since its inception in 2008.
The Flamingos stay Africa’s most constant facet at this degree, having reached the semi-finals twice and completed third in India in 2022 — their best-ever consequence.
ALSO READ: 2025 FIFA U17 Ladies’s World Cup: Flamingos edge Paraguay in five-goal thriller
Underneath Olowookere, the crew has developed an thrilling, high-pressing type and went unbeaten of their home-based warm-up video games earlier than departing for Morocco.
Nevertheless, the defeat to Canada served as a reminder of the advantageous margins at this degree of competitors.
Captain Shakirat Moshood, lately nominated for the CAF Younger Participant of the 12 months award, will once more lead the cost because the Flamingos look to bounce again in opposition to France. The French women hammered Samoa 4-2 on Sunday within the different Group D tie.
For the younger Nigerians, the mission in Morocco isn’t over — it has solely simply begun.
Nigeria are one in all 5 African groups within the match, alongside Morocco, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, and Zambia.
Except for Cote d’Ivoire who started their marketing campaign with a 1-1 draw in opposition to South Korea, all the opposite African groups suffered various levels of defeats of their group openers.
