"We Fought for Nigeria!’ - Flamingos Coach Bankole Olowookere Rallies Team Ahead of Italy Clash After World Cup Breakthrough

Flamingos head coach Bankole Olowookere has hailed his players’ unbreakable spirit after sealing a place in the knockout stage of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with a dominant 4-0 win over Samoa — and says focus has now shifted to tomorrow’s crunch tie against Italy.

The victory, which came after a tense start to the tournament, reignited belief in the camp and restored Nigeria’s pride on the world stage.

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“This win means everything — to me, to the girls, and to our country,” Olowookere told reporters. “They refused to give up and showed what it means to play for Nigeria.”

The coach, who credited God and the team’s resilience for their turnaround, said the Flamingos are now ready for a bigger test.

“Italy are a strong side, but we have prepared well,” he said. “We respect every opponent, but we will fight for every ball and every chance. The girls are confident and hungry.”

Olowookere added that the result against Samoa lifted morale across the squad, and that the players are determined to go beyond their quarter-final finish from the last edition.

“We’re not stopping here,” he vowed. “This team wants to make history for Nigeria — and we believe we can.”

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