Nigeria’s women’s national under-17 football team, popularly known as the Flamingos, will take on Lakeside Queens in a friendly match in Ikenne on Thursday as they continue preparations for their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign against Guinea women’s national under-17 football team.
The fixture will mark the Flamingos’ first warm-up game since arriving in Ikenne for the final phase of their build-up to the crucial qualifiers.
Before relocating to Ikenne, Akeem Busari’s side played five friendly matches in Abuja, recording four wins and one draw in an encouraging run of form.
The team is expected to feature in additional preparatory matches as they sharpen tactics and assess player readiness ahead of the upcoming double-header against Guinea.
The first leg will take place in Conakry on Sunday, May 24, while the return leg is scheduled for the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne one week later.
With momentum building, the Flamingos will be aiming to maintain their strong preparation record as they target qualification for the global tournament.
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.
