Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, will depart Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday, October 8, as they begin their final phase of preparations ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
According to a statement from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday, the team — led by Head Coach Bankole Olowookere — will set up camp in Casablanca, where they are scheduled to play two high-profile international friendlies against New Zealand and Paraguay before moving to Rabat for the tournament proper.
“While in Casablanca, the Flamingos will intensify their build-up with two international friendlies — first against New Zealand on October 10, followed by a clash with Paraguay on October 14.
The team will then move into the official FIFA hotel in Rabat on October 15, where all participating teams will be housed for the competition,” the NFF statement read.
Nigeria has been drawn in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa. The Flamingos will begin their campaign against Canada on October 19, followed by a clash with France on October 22. Both matches will kick off at 8 p.m. Nigerian time at the Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitches 1 and 2) in Sale.
Their final group fixture will be against Samoa on October 25 at 5 p.m., also in Sale. Olowookere’s side head into the tournament in excellent form, having played 10 tune-up matches, scoring an impressive 44 goals without conceding any.
The team’s dominant displays in camp, coupled with a balanced and motivated squad, highlight their determination to surpass their quarter-final finish at the last edition held in the Dominican Republic.