Nigeria U-17 women's head coach Bankole Olowookere has fired back at Algeria’s Abednour Mira after the Flamingos secured an emphatic 4-0 win over their North African opponents in the first leg of their final qualifying tie for the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The victory at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne puts the Flamingos within touching distance of a ticket to the global tournament in Morocco.
But despite the heavy loss, Algerian coach Mira remains confident that his team can produce another comeback when both sides
meet in the second leg in Blida next Friday.
“We lost 2-1 in the first leg against Botswana, but we came back and won 4-0 in the second leg—and we could have scored even more,” Mira said, via Ademola Victor.
“Today’s second-half performance gives me hope. If we’re talking about a ‘Remontada’, the logic is there. In football, anything is possible.”
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Nigeria started brightly, racing into a 3-0 lead in the first half as they exploited Algeria’s disorganised defence with ruthless efficiency.
Nigeria Flamingos 4 vs 0 Algeria U17 – What A Game.
Just watch these stunning goals! My POV watching the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Qualifier.
⚽ Queen Joseph (1′, 17′)
⚽ Zainab Raji (13′)
⚽ Aishat Animashaun (90′)
2nd leg: April 25th in Algeria (8pm Time) pic.twitter.com/iDjPZiaDKL
— Dr. Victor Ademola (@AdemolaVictorTv) April 19, 2025
A fourth goal arrived late in the second half to complete the rout. It was Algeria’s heaviest defeat since losing by the same margin to Morocco U-17 last year.
Mira’s optimism stems from Algeria’s previous comeback against Botswana, but Olowookere insists Nigeria won’t be taking anything for granted ahead of the return leg.
“We hoped to wrap it up in Nigeria and make the return leg easier, but we were only able to score four. We would have loved to get five or six, but keeping a clean sheet was important,” he said.
“If we can score four goals at home, what’s stopping us from scoring one or two in Algeria? And don’t forget — away goals still count in Africa, and that could be decisive.”
Algeria improved marginally after the break, showing better control in midfield. But Olowookere remains unconvinced by their credentials.
“Yes, they were better after the break, but they’re not better than us. We missed a lot of chances. I respect my opponents, but if they’re banking on a comeback, let them keep talking — talk is cheap,” he said.
“It would be foolish of me to go to Algeria and disappoint over 200 million Nigerians who are counting on us. The girls are aware of the task, and we’ll give everything to ensure the nation is proud after 90 minutes.”
The Flamingos boss praised his side’s creativity and was encouraged by the volume of chances created.
“The most important question is, do we create chances? Yes. Do we convert these chances? The answer is yes. We’ve seen people play games, but they can’t even have one shot on target or threaten opponents. So, let’s appreciate these little girls,” he said.
“One of my coaching philosophies is to create a lot of chances and put some in the net. Scoring four goals is okay for us. Where they make mistakes, we will find ways to correct them. If we create up to 10 chances and convert four, it is okay for me.”
Remo Stars President, Hon. Kunle Soname motivates the Nigeria's U17 team, the Flamingos with cash gift of N4M as travel to Algeria for their final leg to secure the World Cup ticket.
— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) April 20, 2025
Nigeria won 4-0 in Ikenne in the 1st leg. pic.twitter.com/IOSm4lNOHe
Beyond the pride of qualifying, the Flamingos have also been promised financial rewards.
NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau has pledged ₦6 million to the team, while business mogul and Remo Stars chairman Kunle Soname has offered an additional ₦4 million.
