Benin Republic have stepped up preparations for their decisive FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying tie against Nigeria’s Flamingos by inviting 30 players to a training camp ahead of the final round of the qualifiers.
The Beninese U-17 women’s national team, known as the Amazons, have resumed camp at the Missérété Excellence Centre as they fine-tune strategies for the high-stakes West African encounter.
Head coach Idah Azonsou has assembled a provisional squad of around 30 players, who are expected to undergo intensive training sessions as Benin seeks a historic qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The first leg of the final qualifying round is scheduled to be played between July 3 and July 5, with the return fixture set for July 10 to July 12.
Nigeria’s Flamingos head into the contest as one of Africa’s most successful teams at this level and will be aiming to preserve their strong pedigree in the competition by securing another World Cup appearance.
Benin, meanwhile, will be looking to upset the odds and book a place on the global stage with a memorable performance against the seven-time African champions.
With qualification on the line, the two-legged tie promises to be an intense battle between neighbouring rivals, as both nations chase a coveted ticket to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
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.
