Nigeria U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, depart Nigeria on Wednesday morning for Casablanca, Morocco, ahead of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, www.aclsports.com reports.
The team is scheduled to touch down in Casablanca by 9 a.m., after which they’ll head to their training base to finalise preparations for the global showpiece.
As part of their buildup, the Flamingos will play two international friendlies, first against New Zealand on October 10, then Paraguay on October 14, before settling into the official FIFA hotel in Rabat.
Head coach Bankole Olowookere and his squad, captained by Shakirat Moshood, go into the tournament in impressive form, having won all 10 of their warm-up matches, scoring 44 goals and conceding none.
Forward Olamide Olanrewaju says the team is ready to make a statement on the world stage.
“We’re going to surprise people at this tournament. Our goal is to reach the final and bring the gold medal home. Personally, I want to be the top scorer and win the MVP award,” she said.
Goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface shared the same optimism, highlighting the team’s hard work and faith.
“We’ve worked and trained hard for this competition. With God’s help, I believe we can go far. My target is to win the Golden Glove.”
For striker Queen Joseph, the goal is simple, to surpass their previous achievement.
“We got to the quarterfinals in the last edition, but this time we’re going for the trophy. I want to score 15 goals and help Nigeria lift the cup,” she declared.
Defender Azeezat Oduntan summed up the team’s collective spirit and determination.
“We all have the same mindset, to bring home the trophy. Everyone is focused and dreaming of one day playing for the Super Falcons.”
The tournament kicks off on Friday, October 17, with Nigeria drawn in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa. The Flamingos will open their campaign against Canada on October 19, face France on October 22, and conclude the group stage against Samoa on October 25.
This year’s edition also marks a milestone as the first to feature 24 teams, with five African representatives, including hosts Morocco, among the expanded lineup.
