Nigeria’s Flamingos began their 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup campaign on a disappointing note after a 4 -1 loss to Canada on Sunday.
Head coach Bankole Olowookere admitted that his side’s wastefulness in front of goal cost them the game, describing the defeat as a painful but valuable lesson.
Canada made a flying start, taking the lead just two minutes into the encounter through Gabriela Istocki. The early goal unsettled the Nigerians, but they gradually regained control and were rewarded on the half hour mark when Queen Joseph reacted quickest to a loose ball to level the score.
Despite creating several opportunities to go ahead, the Flamingos were denied repeatedly by Canada’s goalkeeper Khadijah Cisse, who produced a string of crucial saves to keep her side in the game.
The missed chances proved costly as Canada struck three times late in the match. Julia Amireh scored twice, while Melisa Kekic added the fourth to seal an emphatic win for the North Americans.
Speaking after the match, Olowookere expressed disappointment at the result but remained optimistic about the team’s chances of recovery.
“This was a big game and mistakes happen,” the coach told FIFA.com. “We had several chances in the first half but could not take them. We paid dearly for that. It’s a lesson we’ll keep learning from. We’ll go back, review our performance, and make sure we bounce back stronger.”
The Flamingos will look to revive their campaign when they face France in their second group match on Wednesday in Rabat.
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