Flamingos captain Harmony Chidi says Nigeria are determined to remain focused and disciplined against Burkina Faso, insisting the team still has more to offer despite an impressive start to the WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup in Côte d’Ivoire.
Nigeria have opened the competition with consecutive victories, following their 5-0 demolition of Niger Republic with a hard-fought 4-2 triumph over Ghana.
But Chidi does not want the Flamingos to become distracted by their early success.
Speaking ahead of the Burkina Faso encounter, the forward stressed that the players intend to concentrate fully on executing the coaching staff’s game plan rather than looking too far ahead in the competition.
“We are going to stay focused and play according to the game plan,” Chidi said as the Flamingos prepared for their next assignment.
The captain also expressed appreciation to head coach Akeem Busari, his technical crew and her teammates for the responsibility of leading the side.
“I’m grateful to the coaches and my teammates for making me captain,” she said, describing the role as one she is determined to justify through her performances and leadership.
Chidi has already played an important role in Nigeria’s campaign, opening the scoring in the 5-0 victory over Niger as the Flamingos began the tournament emphatically.
The competition forms an important part of Nigeria’s preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, where the Flamingos will face defending champions North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland in Group B.
Despite Nigeria’s encouraging performances so far, Chidi believes there is another level to reach.
“There is still more to come from the team,” she maintained.
For the Flamingos captain, therefore, two victories are no reason to relax.
The immediate mission is Burkina Faso — follow the plan, maintain the hunger and prove that Nigeria’s best football at the tournament may still be ahead.
