Flamingos to Play Friendlies in Paraguay and New Zealand Ahead of U17 World Cup

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, is ramping up preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. They will play two friendly matches against New Zealand and Paraguay.

These matches are set for October 10 and October 14 in Casablanca, serving as final tests for Coach Bankole Olowookere’s squad before the tournament starts. The team will train in Casablanca before heading to Rabat, where the World Cup will occur.

Both Paraguay and New Zealand are in Group F with Zambia and Japan. Paraguay has never advanced past the group stage, while New Zealand earned a bronze medal in 2018.

Nigeria stands as Africa’s leading U-17 women’s team, finishing third in 2022, equaling Ghana’s achievement in 2012. This year, Olowookere’s team aims to become the first African side to reach the final.

The Flamingos have shown strong form, remaining unbeaten in 10 warm-up games, scoring 44 goals and conceding none.

The Nigerian squad left Abuja for Morocco on Wednesday morning via Royal Air Maroc and will train in Casablanca for a week before checking into FIFA’s official hotel in Rabat on October 15.

In Group D, Nigeria will compete against Canada on October 19, France on October 22, and Samoa on October 25 at the Football Academy Mohammed VI complex in Sale. The Flamingos carry high hopes for Nigeria and aim for a successful World Cup run for Africa.