Nigeria's U-17 women’s coach, Bankole Olowookere, expressed his delight after the Flamingos’ dominant 4-0 victory over Ecuador at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The win, their second in Group A, showed Nigeria's attacking prowess, with standout performances from Shakirat Moshood, who now has three goals in the tournament, and Harmony Chidi, who also found the net.
Flamingos output pleases Oloowokere
Olowookere, whose team now sits top of the group with six points, hailed his players’ determination.
“I feel so great, so happy. Our mission is gradually being established and will be accomplished step by step,” he said.
Despite their youth, he acknowledged the players' anxiety in the early stages, especially around scoring.
“They are little kids, and there was anxiety to score goals and do other things, so I had to calm them down.”
The coach explained that sticking to their game plan was key to the victory.
“We had a plan before the match, and I had to remind them of how to work it out.
“They played to those instructions, and then the goals started coming. We got the win the way it should be.”
Chidi happy to break goal duck
Harmony Chidi, top scorer in the qualifiers for the tournament, was named Man of the Match after a brilliant performance that included her first goal of the tournament, expressed her joy.
“I am very happy. It’s a dream come true, something I have prayed for months,” said Chidi, who plays for Rivers Angels.
“God has made it happen. I thank my coach and my teammates for encouraging me not to give up.”
Reflecting on her journey, she added, “The first match I didn’t score, but my team won. This match, I scored, and we won again. It’s God who made it possible.”
The Flamingos are top of their group with maximum points after two games, scoring a whooping eight goals and conceding just one.