National Teams
2024 FIFA U-17 WWCQ: Bankole Olowookere upbeat ahead of Burkina Faso clash
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Head coach of Nigeria’s national U-17 women’s team, Bankole Olowookere is confident his team can scale through the hurdle of West African rivals. Burkina Faso.
Flamingos will face Burkina Faso in a two legged third round clash of 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers next month.
The first leg of this third-round fixture is scheduled for the Stade 4 August in Ouagadougou on Sunday, 12th May with the return leg at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 18th May.
While admitting the tough path to qualifying for the World Cup from Africa, the Naija Ratels manager says they are not under rating any team.
“Every team should be a threat. Once you under rate your opponent then you are in trouble,” Olowookere told journalists.
“You give them respect before the game but when the game starts you throw away the respect. That has always being my culture. I would give them respect because I don’t have much of their tactical indepth. I have to be mindful of that. That’s why I will try as much as possible not to under rate them.
“Even though if you look at the African set up. They [Burkina Faso] won’t decide if Nigeria will not make it to the World Cup. God forbid. We have to worl hard and play the as if we want to play against Lions. That’s the way we are working now until we win the ticket. To qualify from Africa is even the worst, very difficult, and tight. We will work towards that to make sure that we win and move to the next stage.
Olowookere has invited 25 players to the camp of Flamingos, ahead of next month’s clash.
The list includes four goalkeepers, seven defenders, seven midfielders and seven forwards.
“I am a complete grassroots coach. Before now the media around see the way I work.” He continued.
“Sometimes ago I try to move around the whole of the country. I went to Ikenne with lots of research and agency to make sure that I see more players because I know the job at hand.
“Aside these one that came in, we have over 70 of them that we shortlisted. There are some of them that we dropped that they did well but not too well but we still have other talents. We want to give them equal opportunity.
“The other ones that didn’t do well, we saw them as it is a developmental program so that other people from other part of the country can take part. That’s what we have done and we are still going to be doing. It is a continual process. we drop some and add some.
“Very soon. Before the World Cup, I think we will be able to have a balanced team so that we will get a great backup to defend the next World Cup in October.” He concluded.
Olowookere, who led the Flamingos to a first-ever World Cup bronze medal-finish in India last year, saw the girls fire from all cylinders in a 12-0 rout of their counterparts from Central African Republic over two legs in Douala and Abuja in the second round of the African qualifying series in February.
