National Teams
Sekou Dgeorges: Liberia U17 girls coach remains positive of comeback in Nigeria
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The head coach of Liberia U17 girls, Sekou Dgeorges Manubah is confident his team can stage another comeback against their counterparts from Nigeria in the return leg of 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
FIFA World Cup bronze medallists Nigeria routed Liberia 4-1 in a fast-paced FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup final qualifying round, first leg encounter in Monrovia on Sunday
The visitors raced to a 3-0 lead in the first half before securing a 4-1 win ahead of the return leg next Friday in Abuja.
Liberia lost 3-1 to Senegal in the first leg of the previous round and fought back in the return leg to win the game on away goal, an experience Manubah is confident his players can replicate.
“We had the same experience against Senegal. We lost the first leg 3-1 and came back. There are a couple of things that we saw today and we will work on them,” Manubah said while speaking with journalists after the first leg game on Sunday.
“These are the things that gave me some hope and we will remain very positive.”
Goals from Shakirat Moshood, Peace Effiong, Chidi Harmony, and substitute Peace Ifitezue ensured that Yassah Gwadilo’s last-gasp penalty was a consolation for Liberia.
“We saw the match. The game did not go our way but there is another 90 minutes to play for,” he continued.
“I remain positive. We saw the Nigerian team. I don’t want to be disrespectful to them. Unfortunately, there were some errors from the referees but we keep our heads up. There is another match in the next four days. We are looking forward to that.
“We remain positive because we were able to take control of the game at some point. If they were better than us, they would have dominated the game for the entire 90 minutes. It’s a game of football.”
The return leg encounter is scheduled for Friday at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja with the winner on aggregate making it the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
