Former Flamingoes head coach Bankole Olowookere believes the Falconets still have a strong chance of progressing to the next round despite their 1-1 draw against China, insisting that the result keeps Nigeria firmly in contention.
The Falconets were unable to secure victory against China in their second group game, speaking with Sports247, Olowookere described the outcome as a positive result compared to a defeat, particularly given the quality and rapid development of Asian women’s football.
According to the former Nigeria U-17 coach, the most important objective now is for the team to defeat New Caledonia convincingly and give themselves the best possible chance of advancing.
“It’s unfortunate that they could not win the first match. And now they have got a draw. So there is every possibility that we will win against New Caledonia. I think that will give us success.”
Olowookere acknowledged that Nigeria will need to approach the final group game with greater urgency, particularly in front of goal.
He noted that other teams have recorded emphatic victories against New Caledonia, making goal difference potentially important in determining which teams progress.
“We just need to put everything. Other teams have been able to beat these by a wide margin. I think it’s on us to score more goals against them and to be among the best teams that can go to the next round.”
Olowookere also rejected suggestions that the Falconets should necessarily have defeated China, warning against underestimating the progress being made by Asian football nations.
Having coached Nigeria at the U-17 level and encountered China during international competitions, he said his experience has shown him first-hand how much investment countries such as China, South Korea and Japan are putting into player development.
“China is not a pushover. Talk about China, talk about Korea. They are not a pushover.”
He explained that Asian countries are increasingly investing in football development, technology, coaching and technical education from the grassroots level.
Olowookere recalled his experience in Morocco, where Nigeria and China’s U-17 teams were housed in the same environment, as well as his experience attending a COERVER coaching course in Japan.
He said the level of investment in player development has helped Asian teams produce technically gifted players who are increasingly capable of competing on the global stage.
According to him, Nigeria and other African countries must also continue investing in football development if they are to maintain their competitive advantage.
Asked how far he believes the current Falconets team can go, Olowookere was cautious about making a prediction but drew from his experience with the Flamingoes at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India.
Nigeria lost their opening game against Germany but recovered strongly, going on to defeat New Zealand and Chile before facing the United States.
Olowookere said the turnaround was largely driven by the team’s mentality, orientation and determination not to return home empty-handed.
“It’s about the team now. It’s about the team waking up to that responsibility. It’s about the orientation to be changed. That, look, we are here for business.”
He believes the same mentality could help the Falconets overcome their difficult start.
The former Flamingoes coach stressed that the players must understand the responsibility that comes with representing Nigeria and approach the remainder of the tournament with a strong psychological mindset.
Despite his optimism, Olowookere identified areas of concern following the China encounter, particularly Nigeria’s defensive organisation.
After watching the match highlights again, he called for greater attention to the defensive line and goalkeeper ahead of the decisive final group fixture.
“The defensive line needs to be worked on. I just watched the highlights again now. So, in that defence, they need to be properly worked on.”
He also urged the goalkeeper and defenders to raise their performance levels, while calling on the entire team to improve their finishing.
“Football is about the tournament. It’s about goal scoring. And they should improve on their goal scoring.”
With the group still finely poised, the Falconets now face a crucial final assignment against New Caledonia, knowing that both victory and goals could prove decisive in their pursuit of a place in the knockout stage.
