By Dayo Awoniyi
Italy U17 women’s head coach, Viviana Schiavi, has credited tactical discipline, mental strength, and collective confidence as the driving forces behind her team’s commanding 4–0 victory over Nigeria’s Flamingos, describing the result as a reflection of her players’ growth and maturity throughout the tournament.
Schiavi’s young Azzurrine produced a near-flawless display, blending fluid teamwork with intelligent pressing and clinical finishing that left the Nigerian side struggling to keep pace.
Speaking after the match, the former Italian international expressed pride in her team’s steady improvement and mental fortitude.
“Above all, we are very proud and happy with what the girls are showing game after game. They continue to grow in courage and confidence,” Schiavi said.
Reflecting on the contest, she acknowledged Nigeria’s quality and physicality but praised her players for maintaining composure and executing the game plan under pressure.
“It was a difficult and intense game from the first minute to the last. Once we broke through, the girls gained even more courage and went on to close out the game,” she added.
The emphatic result underscored Italy’s tactical evolution under Schiavi and reinforced their growing reputation as one of the tournament’s most disciplined and dangerous sides — a clear statement of intent to other title contenders.
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.
