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Nigeria reached the 2025 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup on the back of a record goal-scoring performance that saw them hit 25 as they obliterated all opposition in qualifying for the Dominican Republic.
They have continued in ruthless fashion in the Caribbean: Nine points from their three group games, nine goals scored and only one conceded, as they secured a place in the quarterfinals. It is the third time in six appearances that they have won all three group games, having done so in 2010 and 2014.
This was everything that coach Bankole Olowookere wanted ahead of the tournament, and now the Flamingos face the United States.
Much as Nigeria have been irrepressible, with their 100% record in the group stage, the U.S. have been only a little less impressive with eight goals scored; and while the U.S. conceded three goals to Nigeria’s one, all were against defending champions and tournament favourites Spain in their opening game. Since then, they brushed past Colombia and Korea, scoring seven goals in the process.
In Melanie Barcenas, the U.S. have a proven goal scorer with senior club level experience. Her three tournament goals stack up well against the Flamingos’ Shakirat Moshood, who leads the tournament on four goals.
The teams met at the same stage in India two years ago, albeit their positions are reversed. The U.S. then went into the game as group winners, with Nigeria the underdogs and widely expected to head home after 90 minutes; the Flamingos scored first then held on after conceding an equaliser to take the game to a penalty shootout — which they won.
Olowookere expects that result to provide motivation for the U.S. this time.
“That will make it a game of the mind,” he told ESPN. “They will be coming for revenge. I know it is not the same set of people, but I know that they will have that at the back of their minds. So we are working hard to make sure we surprise the Americans on game day.”
Part of that surprise may come in Nigeria’s approach to the game.
Ahead of the tournament, Olowookere told ESPN that his team would be attack-heavy.
“The best way to defend is to attack,” he said. “We should try to keep the opponents in their half. Our philosophy is to try to score more goals than the opponents at any point, even as much as we try to stop them from scoring.”
The coach appears to be taking a different tack for the knockout stage, however, especially after his team had to work hard to break down Dominican Republic in their final group game — needing a late, late goal from Moshood to break the deadlock.
“It is not that we struggled,” he said.
“At this level, if you are not tactical, then you should not be here. It was tactical. Sometimes it might not work, because not all tactical plays work. What matters really is getting the win, no matter how many goals you score. Even if it is one goal, as long as it takes you to the next level, that is what is important.
“We know [the U.S.] are well prepared, but I believe we are also just as prepared as they are because we want to move to the next stage. We have our plan at this tournament and we are not ready to just let it go like that.”
Nigeria are making their fifth quarterfinals appearance at the tournament, more than any other African team; only Ghana have reached this stage before. They hope to make the semifinals for a second time — one ahead of Ghana. The U.S. are making their third quarterfinals appearance, after 2008 and 2022, and have also reached the semifinals once before — in 2008, when they went on to lose the final.
Nigeria captain Taiwo Afolabi played in the 2022 quarterfinal.
“It was a very difficult game, and nobody expected us to win,” she told ESPN. “But the game ended in a draw, and we won on penalties. I know they will have a good game plan for us, because they will not want to lose to us again, but we will be ready for them because we want to defeat them again.”
Harmony Chidi scored 13 goals in qualifying, but she is yet to show the form that made her such a dangerous prospect; neither has Peace Effiong, who was similarly deadly in the qualifiers. Instead, Moshood has stolen the headlines with her precision strikes.
Olowookere said this equal distribution of danger made his team so destructive.
“For us, no player is more important than the other,” he told ESPN.
“We try to make sure that everyone works together for the good of the team.
“We have a number of players who can create and also score, and it is because of the combination in the team that we can have that supply for them to score.
“So if [opponents] focus on one player, there is another one that can do even more damage.”
