U-17FWWC: How Flamingos can fly over Yankees 

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist

For the second time in two years, Nigeria and United States of America (USA) will clash in the quarter-final stage of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Dominican Republic  just as this will mark the second time both countries will meet in a FIFA football competition at the junior women’s football level.

Although both Nigeria and USA have met twice in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with one of those matches coming in the quarter-final round, this is the eighth FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for Nigeria and the Flamingos have reach the quarter-finals in three of the past five tournaments.

When both countries met in the quarter-final match two years ago on October 21, 2022 at D Y Patil Sports Stadium in India, full-time score was 1-1 with midfielder Omamuzo Edafe’s 26′ penalty goal cancelled out by Agnes Villarreal in the 40′ to tie the game but Nigeria won 4-3 on penalties and went ahead to pick the Bronze medal by finishing in the third position in India.

To reach the quarter-final stage in Dominican Republic, the Flamingos have shown a strong form in the tournament as they began their campaign with a dominant 4-1 victory over hapless New Zealand U-17 women’s football team in the first Group A match on October 16, 2024 at Cibao Stadium, Dominican Republic.

Goals scored by Shakirat Moshood 2′, Taiwo Adegoke 13′, Farida Abdulwahab 28′ and Taiwo Afolabi 55′ ensured victory for Nigeria over New Zealand despite the consolation goal by Hirah Saxon  in the 60′.

In the second match on October 29 at Cibao Nigeria humiliated Ecuador 4-0 at Cibao Stadium with Shakirat Moshood scoring a brace, including a penalty goal in 28′ (P). She scored her second on the night in the 90+6′ but that was after emerging talent Harmony Chidi 54′ and Peace Effiong 66′ have put Flamingos three goals up.

Nigeria made it three wins in three matches after a 1-0 defeat of host country Dominican Republic in the last Group A encounter on Wednesday at Estadio Félix Sánchez with the 89′ late goal scored by Shakirat Moshood. It was a one-sided game in which Nigeria had 13 shots on target to only one by the host nation and having 73% balln possession to 27% by Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, to qualify for the quarter-final to meet Nigeria, USA tasted a defeat in the opening match losing 3-1 to Spain with Mia Barcenas scoring in the loss to Spain in 22′ but USA bounced back to beat Colombia 2-0 in the second match with goals from Meghan Johnson 43′ and Kelly Fuller 58′ (P).

That Yankees thrashed South Korea 5-0 with goals by Mia Barcenas 1′, 47′; Fuller 10′; Majore. Long 68′; Melissa Padelski 86′ respectively.

Also,  M. Barcenas scored in the loss to Spain in 22′.

In all, the quarter-final clash of the high-scoring sides will present a high drama of some sorts as both Nigeria and USA can cause trouble to each other if not checkmated throughout the match.

A closer look at the performance of the two teams so far in Dominican Republic showed that Nigeria scored nine goals, conceeding only one goal in the group stage while USA scored eight goals and conceded three.

It means that Nigeria’s goalkeeper and defenders are equal to the task as they have been breached only once in the competition and have shown that they go the whole holding it down until the final match.

Interestingly,  the Coach Olowokere Bankole-led squad is blessed with quality players in all departments of the team especially in the midfield and attack from where all the nine goals have come from so far.

Africa’s pre-World Cup highest goalscorer, Harmony Chidi who scored a whopping 12 goals in the qualifiers has not exploded yet in this tournament and will come good from the knock-out phase, starting with the tough match against USA on Saturday.

However, the quarter final between Nigeria and USA tie billed for Saturday, October 26, 2024 by 20:30 hours at Cibao Stadium, Dominican Republic will be another big test for the Nigerian coach (Bankole) who is growing on the job especially since he became the first-ever Flamingos head coach to win FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup medal.

Should Nigeria beat USA again at this stage of the competition, it will be a case of “thunder striking at the same place a second time” and it will be a big boost to the desire of Bankole and his wards to strike Gold this time around in Dominican Republic.

Fortunately, Flamingos’ captain Taiwo Afolabi of Delta Queens of Asaba is the only survivor of the team of two years ago in India and is expected to help the coach execute on-the-field tactics that were used to defeat USA then.

But victory will not come easy as the side with superior tactics, technical finesse and also helped by mother luck will carry the day, just as football has gone scientific and the team with good understanding of the modern trend of the game will edge out its opponents.

Notwithstanding the odds, Nigerians are optimistic that the Flamingos will fly over the Yankees and book the semi-final ticket to inch closer to the Gold medal dream.

Other 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 fixtures for this weekend and Monday are:

– 🇰🇵Korea DPR vs 🇵🇱Poland

– 🇪🇸Spain vs 🇪🇨Ecuador

– 🇯🇵Japan vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England.