Flamingos coach reveals the factor key to Nigeria’s historic win over the United States

The Nigeria u17 girls’s nationwide staff gained a World Cup quarterfinal match for the primary time on Friday

Flamingos head coach Bankole Olowookere is satisfied that tough work and never luck was the key behind Nigeria’s first-ever look on the semifinals of the FIFA u17 Girls’s World Cup.

The Nigerian cadet staff, on Friday afternoon, defeated their United States counterpart 4-3 on penalties (full-time scores: 1-1) within the quarterfinals of India 2022.

Earlier than the delayed kickoff, the USA, Group A winners, had been the favourites to assert a win in opposition to the West Africans.

And the Individuals didn’t disappoint, as they dominated for lengthy stretches of the match, out-shot the Flamingos 27-8, and racked up 15 nook kicks to Nigeria’s 4.

Participant of the match and Nigerian descent Onyeka Gamero was a continuing thorn within the flesh of the Flamingos, forcing a goal-line clearance simply earlier than stoppage time.

However the Flamingos had been resolute in defence and confirmed cool nerves to attain 4 of their penalties and ebook their place within the World Cup’s remaining 4.

However for Nigeria’s coach Bankole Olowookere, the Flamingos weren’t inferior to the Individuals.

And the veteran tactician believes his staff’s laborious work and preparation gave them victory over their quarterfinal foes.

“As a rustic, Nigeria is larger than simply the quarter-finals, and the victory in opposition to the USA was a reward for laborious work,” OIowookere mentioned.

“We aren’t destined to be within the quarter-finals, we’re a giant nation in soccer so we simply wanted to work issues out and God allowed issues to work for us; that’s why we’re right here right now.”

Nigeria reached the quarterfinals stage of the FIFA u17 Girls’s World Cup 3 times in 2010, 2012, and 2014 however didn’t transcend.

Within the Flamingos’ first-ever semi-final look within the event, the Nigerians will face the winner of the quarterfinal conflict between Colombia and Tanzania.