Flamingos ready to fight Germany for bronze medals

Nigeria will seek to end their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on a high when they battle Germany for the bronze medals in India on Sunday.

Both teams lost their semi final games on Wednesday, Nigeria to Colombia on penalties and Germany to Spain via a last-minute goal by the Cup winners.

Africa’s best team came within a kick of reaching the final during the penalty shootout against Colombia, but defender Omamuzo Edafe’s effort agonisingly came off the upright. Then Comfort Folorunsho’s kick bounded against the body of the Colombian goalkeeper in sudden death and the South Americans prevailed.

Nigeria and Germany squared off in the two teams’ first match of the competition, back on 11th October, at the same venue, with the Germans having to battle back from behind following Miracle Usani’s opener for the Flamingos through a a free-kick.

The Nigerian team has remained unbeaten in regulation time since then, defeating New Zealand 4-0 and Chile 2-1, and then prevailing over United States of America on penalty shootout in the quarter-finals after a 1-1 stalemate.

In the semi finals, Nigeria and Colombia finished scoreless before the penalty shootout that eventually turned out in favour of the South Americans.

“The girls gave a very good account of themselves but it was not to be. We have the bronze medal match to contend with and we will throw everything into it,” Head Coach Bankole Olowookere said on Saturday.