Nigeria’s U-17 Flamingos March into Morocco with 100% Record

The countdown is finally over! Nigeria's U-17 Women's National Team, the Flamingos, have departed Abuja for Morocco to begin the final phase of preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. The flamingos are travelling with a perfect preparation record and a wave of goodwill following a heartwarming send-off.

A Flawless Run to the Final Stage

Head Coach Bankole Olowookere's squad is heading to North Africa in flaming form. Their preparation camp in Abuja has been a demonstration of absolute dominance as the girls played 10 matches, winning every single one of them, scoring a remarkable 44 goals and also maintaining a clean sheet in all games! This exceptional run includes emphatic wins over Nazareth Angels (5-0), Horvel Prime (5-0), and a 3-0 victory over Abuja All-Stars and this has filled the squad with lots of confidence.

Forwards like Queen Joseph, who grabbed a hat-trick in a commanding 5-0 triumph over Horvel Prime, and Olamide Olanrewaju are peaking at the right time.

A Visit That Matters: Heart on Their Sleeves

Before boarding their flight, the Flamingos made one last stop that said a lot about who they are beyond football. Led by captain Shakirat Moshood, the team visited the Nana Berry Orphanage and Children’s Home in Nyanya, Nasarawa State.

This was a touching moment: laughter, hugs, and shared stories filled the air as the girls spent time with the children, and they handed out gifts and words of encouragement.

The Morocco Agenda and the Group of Fire

The team departed Nigeria in the early hours of Wednesday, October 8th, aboard Royal Air Maroc, heading first to Casablanca as they plan to intensify their international readiness with two crucial friendlies:

October 10: International Friendly vs. New Zealand

October 14: International Friendly vs. Paraguay

After these tune-ups, the squad will then move to the official FIFA hotel in Rabat on October 15th for the tournament proper, which kicks off on October 17th.

Nigeria has been drawn into a challenging Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa. The Flamingos' path through the group stage looks like this (all times are Nigerian Time, WAT):

Sunday, October 19: Nigeria vs Canada — 8:00 p.m. at Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 2)

Wednesday, October 22: Nigeria vs France — 8:00 p.m. at Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 1)

Saturday, October 25: Nigeria vs Samoa — 5:00 p.m. at Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 3)

Having secured the bronze medal at the last edition, Head Coach Olowookere and his girls are set on going one step further. With their dominant form and a unified squad, the Nigerian flag is ready to fly high in Morocco.

Let's rally behind the Flamingos as they seek glory on the world stage! #SoarFlamingos #FIFAU17WWC