Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, suffered their first defeat in 11 matches after losing 4–3 to New Zealand in a thrilling international friendly on Friday in Casablanca, Morocco.
The encounter was part of the team’s final preparations for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, set to kick off later this month in Rabat.
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The young Nigerians started brightly and took the lead in the 13th minute through Queen Joseph, who finished off a brilliant through ball after a sweeping team move.
New Zealand responded soon after, but the Flamingos regained their advantage before halftime when Shakirat Moshood fired home a powerful long-range effort to make it 2–1.
The second half produced end-to-end football, with New Zealand’s Laura Bennett turning the game on its head. The forward scored a sensational hat-trick to give her side a 3–2 lead.
Nigeria fought back admirably, and substitute Ayo equalised with a fine strike midway through the half to make it 3–3.
However, with ten minutes remaining, New Zealand found the decisive goal through Candy Sienna, who capitalised on a defensive lapse to slot past the Nigerian goalkeeper and seal a memorable 4–3 win for the Oceania side.
Despite the defeat, the Flamingos’ overall form remains impressive. The loss ended their 11-match unbeaten streak, during which they scored 47 goals and conceded just four.
Head coach Bankole Olowookere is expected to use the lessons from the match to fine-tune his squad’s tactics ahead of their World Cup opener.
The Flamingos will now face Paraguay in their final warm-up game before jetting off to Rabat, where they will continue their quest for glory at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
