Flamingos captain Harmony Chidi says Nigeria will approach Thursday’s WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup encounter against hosts Côte d’Ivoire with the same winning mentality that has powered their impressive start to the tournament.
The Nigerian youngsters head into the showdown in Yamoussoukro determined to maintain their perfect record, and Chidi insists the identity of the opposition will not change their approach.
“We want to win every game,” Chidi said ahead of the encounter. “We will listen to our coach and follow his instructions because that is very important for us.”
The captain says confidence within the squad remains high, with the players determined to use the regional tournament to sharpen themselves ahead of the bigger challenge awaiting them at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria will compete at the global tournament in Morocco from October 17 to November 8, where they have been drawn in Group B alongside defending champions North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland.
For Chidi, however, attention remains firmly on the immediate assignment against the Ivorians.
“The spirit in the team is very high,” she said. “We are taking every game seriously because this tournament is also preparing us for the main competition.”
Chidi has led from the front during Nigeria’s campaign. She opened the scoring in the 5-0 victory over Niger Republic before finding the net again as the Flamingos defeated Ghana 4-2.
Nigeria also defeated Burkina Faso 2-0 in their third outing, with Mary Dunstan and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi scoring late to preserve their winning run.
Thursday’s meeting with Côte d’Ivoire now presents another examination, particularly with the opposition enjoying home advantage.
But Chidi’s message is straightforward, respect the opposition, execute Busari’s instructions and maintain the winning mentality that has carried the Flamingos through the tournament.
