Nigeria’s U20 girls tackle their counterparts from Spain on Thursday for a place in the semi finals of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals, with sweet memories of how the Falconets edged the Spaniards in a group phase game in Papua New Guinea two years ago. Nigeria won that match 2-1, and the two […]
via France 2018: Falconets Ready To Battle For Semi Final Ticket — newfanzoneblog
A highly–motivated Nigeria U20 girls’ squad is exuding confidence of earning a berth in the 9th FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup quarter finals ahead of a potentially–explosive encounter with China in Dinan/Léhon on Monday. Nigeria will reach the competition’s knockout stages for the seventh time in nine editions if they avoid defeat against the Chinese […]
via France 2018: Nigeria’s Falconets Determined To Reach Quarter Finals — newfanzoneblog
Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets, will depart from their final training camp in Tirol, Austria on Thursday, 2nd August for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, with high level of confidence after scoring seven goals and conceding none in two friendly games. The 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup silver medallists hammered Austrian Women League top […]
via Nigeria’s Falconets Win Big, Ready For FIFA World Cup — newfanzoneblog
Coach Chris Danjuma has invited 35 players to the camp of the U20 Women National Team, Falconets, for the first phase of preparations for this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in France. The list of players who have been told to arrive at the Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye, Abuja on Thursday includes Rasheedat […]
via Nigeria’s Falconets To Begin Preparation For France 2018 — newfanzoneblog
A brace each from Gift Monday, Rasheedat Ajibade and Anam Imo earned Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets a 6-0 win over South Africa’s Basetsana on Saturday and a place at the 9th FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup. The visitors famously launched into war songs on arrival in Nigeria during the week, pledging to cancel the two […]
via Nigeria’s Falconets Dismantle South Africa’s Basetsana To Qualify For France 2018 — newfanzoneblog
Ahead of Saturday’s opener against Brazil, Coach of the Flamingoes, Bala Nikyu has assured that his girls have what it takes to achieve victory. Nikyu made this known while fielding questions from the media, during the pre-match Press Conference for both teams, after Flamingoes’ official training session Friday afternoon at the King Abdullah II International […]
via Nikyu: Nigeria’s Flamingoes Will Approach Every Match With Seriousness — newfanzoneblog
The Nigeria Under17 Women’s National team Popularly referred to as the Flamingoes on Saturday In Abuja the capital of Nigeria Walloped their South African Counterparts the Bantwana by six goals to zero in the final round 2016 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the National Stadium Abuja.
The Flamingoes went on a goals scoring rampage in the first half of the tie with Four goals from Rasheedat Ajibade and a Tinuke Fajobi brace was all it took to inflict a heavy defeat on the South Africans to make the second leg something of a formality.
The Nigeria team will play the second leg of the tie against the South African ladies in two weeks time and head coach of the team Bala Nikyu believes that his wards will go to south Africa to pick up the ticket to represent Africa at the FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup In Jordan.
Nigeria’s U-17 girls, nicknamed Flamingoes, have arrived in Namibia ahead of Friday’s 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier against that country’s Baby Gladiators.
Coach Bala Nikyu, his assistants, 18 players and backroom staff, alongside a couple of administrative officials, flew aboard a South African Airways airplane from Lagos to Johannesburg before connecting another South African Airways flight to Windhoek, on Wednesday morning.
The Flamingoes have never failed to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals since the event was launched in New Zealand in 2008. They thrashed the Baby Gladiators 4-0 in the first leg in Abuja penultimate weekend.
Nigeria captain Rasheedat Ajibade, who scored two of the four goals in the first leg, said: “We are confident that we will progress into the last round of the qualifiers. Though, we will not under-rate the Baby Gladiators.
“Our Coaches have been telling us to forget the result of the first leg and play the second leg match as if we lost the first leg. Our spirit is high and we will do the country proud.”
Officials of the Namibia Football Association have confirmed that the second leg match will take place at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, starting from 4pm Namibia time (3pm Nigeria time).
The winner of this fixture will play South Africa’s U-17 girls, who have reached the final round of the qualification series following the withdrawal of Zambia.
This year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Jordan between 30th September and 21st October.
18 FLAMINGOES FOR BATTLE OF WINDHOEK
Goalkeepers: Cynthia Nnadozie, Nimot Ajayi
Defenders: Esther Adeboye, Joy Duru, Patience Dike, Onyinyechi Ibe, Ijeoma Kenneth
Midfielders: Ramat Abdulkareem, Peace Efih, Precious Oyagbarh, Christy Ucheibe, Folashade Ijamilusi
Forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade, Cynthia Aku, Yetunde Fajobi, Rejoice Ikoyo, Kikelomo Olaiya, Chidinma Okeke
Nigeria’s U-17 girls begin another World Cup qualification journey on Saturday when they take on the Baby Gladiators of Namibia in a second round, first leg match at the National Stadium Complex, Abuja.
Namibia’s 26-man delegation to Saturday’s encounter, led by Mr. Timotheus Tjongarero, arrived in Lagos in the early hours of Thursday and flew to Abuja, arriving at 8am. The delegation is accommodated at the Chida Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory.
Also on Thursday morning, match officials from Morocco, led by Referee Lamyaa Lourarhi, arrived in Abuja. The team includes Karima Khadiri (assistant referee 1), Zahra Jalal (assistant referee 2) and Bouchra Karboubi (reserve referee). They are accommodated at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
The match commissioner, Florence Marie Aimee Biagui from Senegal, was also being expected in Abuja on Thursday afternoon.
The Flamingos, under the watchful eyes of Coach Bala Nikyu and his assistants, have been in camp for a number of weeks, and are expected to go full throttle against the Baby Gladiators, who reached this round after eliminating fellow Southern Africans, Botswana.
Among the players Bala Nikyu is working with to do Nigeria proud on Saturday are midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade and Joy Duru, as well as Cynthia Aku and Juliet Godman.
The Flamingos have participated at every edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup since the first tournament in New Zealand in 2008.
The return leg has been scheduled to take place at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek on Friday, January 22.
Nigeria 2-1 China: Flamingoes edge past China ….. Nikyu hails Flamingoes’ resilience …. “I want to score more goals,” says Ajibade
Nigeria defeated China 2-1 to begin their Costa Rica 2014 U17 Women’s World Cup campaign on a bright note in Group D on Monday morning in Alajuela.
Nigerians must give thanks to goals from Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu on either side of the half denying Fan Yuqiu’s lone effort for the Chinese at the Alejandra Morera Soto stadium.
Nigeria started on the front foot when in the 7th minute Chiwendu Ihezuo failed to connect with a ball across the face of goal and
missed another brilliant goal opportunity in the 14th minute.
Rasheedat Ajibade went on to miss a goal scoring opportunity at the 19th minute before converting her 21st minute chance to goal after much dominance.
Goalkeeper Oyebubuchi Okeke made a brilliant save in the 28th minutes while at the other end Aminat Yakubu and Rasheedat Ajibade both missed their chances to double the lead for Nigeria in the 37th and 45th respectively before half time.
Interestingly, the Asian side resumed the other half rejuvenated by putting the Nigerian goalkeeper Onyinye Okeke to test at the 48th
minute before Cynthia Aku went in for Aminat Yakubu.
Adventurously, Uchenna Kanu headed home Mary Ologbosere’s cross at the 60th minute to double the lead for Nigeria but the Chinese responded two minutes later when Fan Yuqiu pulled one back for China.
Onyebuchi Ihuoma went out for Joy Duru due to an injury while Cynthia Aku and Chiwendu Ihezuo both missed their chances to register their names on the score sheet lately, though the African powerhouse laboured in the last 25 minutes, but hanged on for victory.
In the earlier game of Group D, the CONCACAF champions Mexico showed they mean business at Costa Rica 2014 with an impressive 4-0 victory over Colombia with a first-half onslaught in Alajuela.
“I want to score more goals,” says Ajibade
Speaking after the game, Flamingoes first goal hero and Man-of-the-match winner, Rasheedat Ajibade expressed delight at
winning the award and promised to perform better in subsequent games as well as make Nigerians proud.
“I feel great and on top of the world – I just pray God continue to keep me in-form, so I can do my best at all time – In next match, I
intend scoring more goals and create more chances to my attackers to score.”
“All I have to tell Nigerians is to continue praying for us, and we won’t let them down and by God’s grace, we will bring the trophy back
to Nigeria,” Ajibade assured.
Earlier in his post match remarks, Head Coach of the Nigeria U17 Women’s team, Bala Nikyu commended the team work and resilience of his ladies to ensure victory against opponents, China in their Group D opening campaign.
“I don’t want to mention any player because they all did well – its team work – they played for themselves to win,” Nikyu said.
The Flamingoes gaffer refused to blame his girls for a poor second half, insisting they did brilliantly well to preserve the lead despite
the Chinese’s fought-back in the last half hour of the game.
“We played better in the first half, it is normal when down in any match you want to brace up – so am not surprise that China fought hard in the second half as they were already down, unless the final whistle is blown they will still want to fight back.
“I think she will do well though, I expect her to do better than this in the second or last group match but for today she tried, by the time
she plays the second or third, – in a competition you must improve match after match and when you are able to win the first match you are able to play more relax in the next,” Nikyu said in defense of Rasheedat Ajibade who named the man-of-the-match award.
Nigeria U17 Women team will look to secure a firm grasp atop the group D when they take on Colombia by 8pm Costa Rica time on Wednesday evening – 3am Nigerian time on Thursday morning.
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