Flamingos aim to seal World Cup spot against Algeria on Friday
Nigeria’s U17 women’s team, the Flamingos, are one step away from qualifying for the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup as they get ready to face Algeria in the second leg of their final qualifying match on Friday night in Blida.
The Flamingos head into the game with a strong advantage after beating Algeria 4-0 in the first leg played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne. With that big win behind them, the girls are full of confidence and ready to finish the job in North Africa.
The return leg will be played at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida, where the weather might be colder, but the Flamingos’ desire to qualify remains strong.
Nigeria are experienced at this level, having played in all but one U17 Women’s World Cup since it began. The team has a proud record of 27 wins from 28 qualifying matches, with only one loss. In 2022, they won bronze in India – their best-ever finish – and also reached the quarter-finals in the Dominican Republic.
Algeria, on the other hand, are still looking for their first-ever appearance at the tournament and face a tough task trying to overturn a four-goal deficit.
Coach Bankole Olowookere’s Flamingos have been in excellent form, winning six qualifiers in a row, scoring 21 goals and conceding just two. Only Cameroon, in a 2-2 draw back in 2018, have managed to score more than once against Nigeria in the past decade of qualifiers.
Star forward Harmony Chidi, who missed the first leg due to injury, is back with the squad and could feature from the bench. However, Queen Joseph – who replaced her and scored twice in Ikenne – is expected to lead the attack again, with support from Zainab Raji and Kaosarat Olanrewaju.
The midfield will likely include Shakirat Moshood, Muinat Rotimi, and Philomena Isaiah, while captain and goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma will organise the defence alongside Azeezat Oduntan, Hannah Ibrahim, Christiana Sunday, and Jumai Adebayo.
Algeria’s coach, Abednour Mira, is hoping for another home comeback like the one against Botswana in the previous round, where they won 4-0 after losing the first leg 2-1. But turning things around against Nigeria will be far more difficult.
Mira said: “We managed to come back against Botswana. We’ll try again. Anything is possible in football.”
Still, the gap between the teams was clear in the first leg, and Algeria will need something special to stand a chance.
Aside from the dream of playing at the World Cup, the Flamingos are also motivated by rewards. After the first-leg win, businessman Kunle Soname gave the team ₦4 million (₦1 million for each goal), and the Nigeria Football Federation added ₦2 million more.
Both Soname and NFF President Ibrahim Gusau have promised more bonuses if the team gets the job done in Blida.
Coach Olowookere said, “We are focused on qualifying for the World Cup. The financial support is a big boost, and my girls are ready to give their all on Friday.”
Match Details:
Competition: U17 Women’s World Cup Qualifier – Africa
Match: Algeria vs Nigeria
Date: Friday, 25 April 2025
Venue: Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida (Algeria)
Kick-off Time: 8:00 PM (Nigerian time)
