By Wale Mustapha
Canada U17 women’s head coach Jen Herst revealed key tactical changes that helped her team secure a 4-1 victory over Nigeria’s Flamingoes in their opening match of the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on Sunday.
Despite Nigeria’s early dominance under coach Bankole Olowokere, Canada’s goalkeeper Khadijah Cisse made several crucial saves to keep her team in the game.
Canada took an early lead through Gabriela Istocki, but Nigeria equalized just before halftime thanks to Queen Joseph.
In the second half, Herst’s side made important tactical tweaks that shifted momentum. A brace from Julia Amireh and a goal from Melisa Kekic sealed a commanding win for Canada.
“We made a couple of tweaks at half-time in terms of us being higher, being more aggressive, and looking to get pressure on them higher up the pitch with our wingers, with our full-backs,” Herst told FIFA.com after the match.
“I think that really turned the tide and put it into our favour.”
Herst acknowledged the tactical risks taken but praised her players for executing the game plan that ultimately led to a decisive victory.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
