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Bankole Olowookere blames missed chances for Flamingos’ defeat to Canada
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team head coach Bankole Olowookere has attributed his team’s loss to Canada to their inability to convert key scoring opportunities during their 4-1 defeat in the opening match of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Sunday night.
The game, played in Rabat, Morocco, saw Gabriela Istocki put Canada ahead just two minutes into the encounter.
Nigeria equalised in the 30th minute through Queen Joseph, but the Canadians proved more clinical after the break, with Julia Amireh netting a brace and Melisa Kekic adding a fourth to seal a dominant victory.
Reflecting on the result, Olowookere admitted his side’s missed chances in the first half proved costly.
“This was a huge game. Sometimes mistakes happen. We had our chances in the first half, but we didn’t take advantage of them and we paid dearly for it,” Olowookere told FIFA.com.
“I think it’s a lesson we’ll keep learning. We’ll go back, watch how we played, and see how we can bounce back.”
The Flamingos will aim to recover when they face France in their second Group A fixture on Wednesday in Rabat.
