Olowookere Describes Defeat as ‘Painful’ as Flamingos’ World Cup Dreams Face Uncertainty

Nigeria’s U17 girls need to secure a decisive win against Samoa and hope for other favorable results to advance in the tournament.

The Flamingos faced a tough loss at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, going down 0-1 to France in Group D. France’s Maissa Fathallah scored the only goal in the 81st minute, leaving Nigeria without any points after two matches.

Coach Bankole Olowookere expressed disappointment, calling the outcome “unfortunate and painful” after the match. This defeat follows a heavy 4-1 loss to Canada, highlighting the team’s ongoing defensive issues. Although Nigeria showed improvements in their structure against France, a key moment in the 62nd minute called for a crucial goal-line clearance, and the late goal sealed their fate.

Olowookere noted the team’s better performance, saying, “The game against France was much better than the one against Canada. If we had fought like this in the first game, I doubt we’d be in this situation now… It was unfortunate and heartbreaking to concede that late goal. We’ll keep working hard to turn this around.”

With qualification on the line, the Flamingos need a strong victory against Samoa on Saturday, October 25. They aim to improve their -4 goal difference significantly to have a chance at advancing as one of the best third-placed teams.