Former Flamingos head coach Bankole Olowookere believes Nigeria’s successful campaign at the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup provided the national team with exactly the level of competitive preparation required ahead of this month’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Flamingos returned from Côte d’Ivoire as champions after producing a perfect record of five victories from five matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding only twice. They defeated Niger Republic 5-0, Ghana 4-2, Burkina Faso 2-0, hosts Côte d’Ivoire 2-0 and Togo 4-0.
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For Olowookere, who famously guided Nigeria to a historic bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, the value of those matches extends beyond winning another trophy.
He noted that previous Flamingos teams preparing for major international competitions often had to depend on friendly matches against academies and other local sides to build match fitness.
This time, the current team under Akeem Busari has been able to test itself in a genuine international tournament against five West African opponents.
“The WAFU-B championship came at the right time,” Olowookere said, describing the competition as a high-quality platform capable of putting the players into the proper competitive rhythm before the World Cup.
The NFF shares that assessment. Acting General Secretary Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme described the WAFU-B tournament as a “premium preparatory event” and said the Flamingos had benefited immensely from playing competitive international matches before travelling to Morocco.
Nigeria’s flawless run also provided Busari with different examinations. The Flamingos overwhelmed Niger Republic, survived a six-goal contest against Ghana, had to remain patient before breaking down Burkina Faso and then defeated hosts Côte d’Ivoire before completing the tournament with the emphatic victory over Togo.
That variety is precisely why Olowookere considers the experience more valuable than relying exclusively on conventional warm-up matches.
Attention now turns to the World Cup, which begins on October 17 in Morocco. Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside defending champions North Korea, Poland and Puerto Rico, with the Flamingos opening their campaign against Poland.
The challenge will become considerably tougher on the global stage, but Olowookere believes Nigeria will arrive with something previous preparations could not always provide — five competitive international matches already in their legs.
For the man who led the country to its best-ever finish at the tournament four years ago, the WAFU-B trophy is valuable, but the competitive rhythm gained on the road to winning it could prove even more important in Morocco.
