SALÉ, MOROCCO — Nigeria’s U-17 girls, the Flamingos, will be seeking redemption when they take on France in their second Group D match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday night, after suffering a disappointing 4–1 defeat to Canada in their opening fixture.
The West Africans endured a tough start in Salé, where defensive lapses proved costly despite an energetic display that saw Queen Joseph score Nigeria’s only goal. With the loss leaving them bottom of the table on zero points and a minus-three goal difference, anything short of victory against France could end their campaign prematurely.
Wednesday’s encounter carries extra significance — the last time both nations met at this level was 13 years ago in Azerbaijan, when Nigeria held France to a goalless draw before losing 5–3 on penalties in the quarter-finals.
Their opponents, France, head into the game full of confidence after a 4–2 win over Samoa. Known for their fluid attacking play and tactical organisation, the Europeans will pose a major challenge to Coach Bankole Olowookere’s team, who must find the right balance between defensive structure and attacking sharpness.
Speaking ahead of the clash, team captain Shakirat Moshood said the players have regrouped and are ready to fight back.
“We are not happy about our first game, but for the second match against France, we are going to win because we are ready for them,” Moshood said.
“We talked to ourselves and encouraged one another. We will make Nigerians proud and happy.”
Coach Olowookere’s training sessions ahead of the match focused on fixing defensive errors and improving game management. The team skipped Monday’s training to focus on morale-building and tactical video reviews.
To boost motivation, Super Falcons stars Asisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie, and others sent video messages encouraging the young team to stay resilient.
With renewed focus and national pride on the line, the Flamingos will look to produce a disciplined and spirited performance when they face France at 8pm Nigerian time.
