By Wale Mustapha
Head Coach of Nigeria, Bankole Olowokere, has challenged his players to show greater commitment and focus as they prepare to face Italy in the knockout stage of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Flamingos booked their place in the Round of 16 after defeating Samoa 4–0 in their final group match, advancing as one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament.
Italy, meanwhile, have been one of the competition’s standout teams, winning all three of their group-stage matches to progress with a perfect record.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s encounter, Olowokere acknowledged the strength of the European side but said his team would embrace their underdog status while working to correct their defensive lapses.
“It’s good that we have strong opposition; that will help to prepare us for the next game,” Olowokere told FIFA.com.
“We have to work on those areas where they were able to penetrate from our team.”
The Flamingos, who finished third at the last edition of the tournament, will be aiming to go a step further this time as they continue their pursuit of Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.
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.
