Nigeria U17 women’s coach, Bankole Olowookere, says his team has corrected the lapses seen in their 4–1 loss to Canada and are fully ready to face France in today’s crucial FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup clash in Rabat.
The Flamingos are desperate for redemption after their shock defeat in the opener. France, who edged Samoa 4–2 in their first game, pose a formidable challenge, but Olowookere insists Nigeria will respond strongly.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, the coach admitted the loss to Canada was painful but praised his players’ resilience and renewed focus.
“The camp is calm now, though the first day was not easy. After the match, it was tough all through the night, but we’ve lifted the girls’ spirits. We’ve had fun recovery sessions — swimming and light drills — and I can see the players are mentally ready again,” he said.
Olowookere revealed that the team has worked intensively on defensive discipline and concentration after late errors cost them heavily against Canada.
“We identified the problem — there was a crack on the bridge — and we’ve fixed it. In the last 15 minutes, our concentration dropped and we conceded cheap goals. We’ve worked on that, and I believe the girls will stay focused this time,” he assured.
Looking ahead to the France match, Olowookere admitted the team faces pressure but remains confident of a positive outcome.
“We are under pressure because Nigerians believe in us. It’s part of football — sometimes things go bad. What matters is how we respond. We’re sorry to our fans and promise to make them smile again after this game,” he concluded.
The kick off time for the Nigeria vs France is 5:00 pm.
