By Wale Mustapha
Bankole Olowokere, head coach of Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingoes, has expressed deep disappointment following his side’s 4-0 defeat to Italy in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat.
The Flamingoes started brightly and showed promise in the opening stages, creating several opportunities, including a goal that was later ruled out by VAR for offside.
However, Italy gradually took control, turning the game decisively in their favour during the second half.
Speaking after the match, Olowokere described the early exit as painful.
“Honestly, it’s quite painful. We came into the game with the mindset of doing something special, making sure we win and progress to the next stage,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we held the game for 44 minutes before the painful goal came in, and it was all squandered in the second half. It’s one of those things,” Olowokere added.
The result marks a disappointing end to Nigeria’s campaign in the tournament, highlighting both the potential and the areas needing improvement as the Flamingoes prepare for future international challenges.
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.
