Head coach of the Nigeria U17 Women’s team, Bankole Olowookere, has cautioned his players against complacency ahead of their crucial second-leg clash in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
The Flamingos secured a commanding 3-1 victory in the first leg against South Africa in Pretoria, with goals from Harmony Chidi and Shakirat Moshood putting Nigeria in a strong position to advance. However, Olowookere has stressed that the tie is far from over.
In a statement released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Olowookere emphasized the importance of maintaining focus.
“We are very much aware of the fact that it is never over until it is over. It will be foolish to assume otherwise. Yes, we won 3-1 away in South Africa, but the contest is still alive. That is our mentality. That has been at the heart of our preparations since we returned from Pretoria,” he said.
The coach further revealed that the technical crew has been working on strengthening the team’s mental resilience to ensure there are no lapses in concentration.
“My assistants and I have been working on the team’s mental strength while drumming it into the ears of the girls that focus is key. No loss of concentration is allowed. Our objective is to win on Saturday and make sure of a place in the final qualifying round.”
Olowookere also pointed to the dramatic turnaround in another qualifier, where Côte d’Ivoire overturned a 3-1 home loss by thrashing Burundi 3-0 away.
“We learnt of the result of the Ivorians in the return leg against Burundi. It further underscored our insistence that the fixture is not over and done with. There is still 90 minutes to be played, and we must play it with our hearts and maximum mental strength.”
The decisive match will take place on Saturday at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, kicking off at 4:00 pm. Match officials arrived in Nigeria on Friday to oversee the encounter.
The winner of the Nigeria-South Africa fixture will advance to the final qualification round, where they will face the victor between Botswana and Algeria. Botswana holds a slight advantage, having won their first leg 2-1 at home.
