Nigeria’s U-17 women national team, Flamingoes, will today begin their campaign in the 2016 edition of the FIFA U-17 Women World Cup which kicked off yesterday in Amman, the Jordanian capital when they confront their South American counterpart Brazil in their first Group C encounter at the competition.
The match expected to be played at the King Abdullah 11 International Stadium Amman by 2pm Nigerian time, will see the Nigerians trying to pick the three points at stake in their opening game before confronting England at the Prince Mohammed International Stadium, Zarqa on October 4 and then face women football power house North Korea four days later at the Amman International Stadium in their last group match.
It is expected that Nigeria which has never failed to qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with their best performance being quarter-final finishing at Trinidad and Tobago 2010, Azerbaijan 2012 and Costa Rica 2014 will put up a good performance against a Brazilian team which is having their fourth outing at the world level and their return to the competition following their failure to qualify for Costa Rica 2014.
Although, the South Americans are known for good football tradition, but at this level of the game, the Canarinha who debut in the championship in New Zealand in 2008, where they collected a solitary point and finished 14th out of 16 teams and also appeared at Trinidad and Tobago 2010 and Azerbaijan 2012, making it out of the group phase on both occasions before finishing eighth has not re- enacted the performance which made their male counterparts, the dominant football playing nations of the world.
Not minding that Brazil has not Flamingoes in training session ahead of today’s match posted a good performance at the women U-17 championship over the years, but the Coach Bala Nikyu led side are expected to take the first game serious as the Brazilians have the players that can pose a threat to a team especially when one considers that they are coming to this year’s championship with the hope of not only improving their performance at the competition but to show the entire world that Brazilian female football has matured at the U-17 level.
Today’s match is expected to be keenly contested considering the caliber of players being paraded by the two countries. While Nigeria will be banking on such players like;Abidemi, Patience Dike, Ijeoma Kenneth, Ebunoluwa Adeboye, Akudo Ogbonna, Joy Michael, Opeyemi Sunday, Happiness Titus Midfielders, Christy Ucheibe, Peace Efih, Folashade Ijamilusi, Oghenebrume Ikekhua, Mercy Omokwo Arit Itu, Chidinma Okeke. Cynthia Aku and Mary-Ann Ezenagu to curtail the rampaging South Americans, the Brazilians led by experienced Coach Luiz Antonio Riberio who booked their place at Jordan 2016 after finishing second at the South American championship in Venezuela will hinge their chance against Nigeria once again on strikers Nycole Silva and Kerolin Ferraz, who combined to score eight of the 15 goals Brazil amassed in the qualifying competition.
As is expected in this type of competition, handlers of both teams have been talking tough ahead mof today’s encounter. While the Flamingoes handler, Bala Nikyu has expressed confidence that his girls are capable of grabbing the three points at stake, his Brazilian counterpart noted that his players are aware of the challenge posed by their Nigerian counterparts and as such will not toil with their chances in the game.
With four wins, 16 goals scored and none conceded, the Flamingoes certainly looked like a force to be reckoned with in this year’s tournament. Spearheaded by Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, who was the highest goal scorer in the qualifying series with eight goals, they are determined not only to finally break through the quarter-final barrier but to become the second African side to claim a medal at the competition, after Ghana in 2012 and will take inspiration from their compatriots’ exploits at the U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014,where the Falconets were runners-up.
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