Get Guardian on GoogleIt’s the biggest game in their fledgling careers. At stake is a historic spot in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final, and the Flamingos say that they are ready to do all it takes to create a new chapter in Nigeria’s women’s football story.
However, the obstacle is none other than Brazil, a country that has a tradition of winning games when the stakes are high.
The Nigerian girls have been growing in confidence since their opening-day defeat by Portugal at the championship, with their 3-1 defeat of defending champions, North Korea, one of the high points of the championship thus far.
Against a Brazilian side that has not lost any game, the Flamingos know that they must be at their very best if they want to become the African country to make the final of the competition. The girls know this.
Looking forward to a bruising encounter with the sleek Brazilians, Flamingos Coach Akeem Busari describes the match as the game that defines what his team is fighting for.
He said: “Reaching the semifinals is a dream come true for me and a great achievement, and I’m looking forward to it because I want to make my country proud.
“We want to give our best in the next match and show everyone what we can do”.
Top scorer, Oluebube Umejiaku, was more emphatic when she said: “Having come this far, all we want is to win the cup, and that means we must beat Brazil.
“We have worked hard to get to the semifinals and with the final just a game away, we will do everything to get there.”
The match at the Mohammed VI Football Complex – Pitch 3 in Rabat pits together two teams with contrasting routes to the semifinals.
Brazil come into this match undefeated thus far in Morocco, but have been made to work hard for all of their results. A rollercoaster 6-2 win over Canada set the tone for their campaign, with enthralling 3-3 draws with Ghana and Poland following. Rilany’s side then found themselves behind against China PR, but rallied with two goals after the break to make it to a second successive semi-final.
On the other hand, Nigeria fell to defeat in their opener, losing 2-1 to Poland, which left Akeem Busari’s side with a battle to keep their knockout hopes alive. They downed Puerto Rico 2-0 to get back on track, before their tournament-shaking victory over DPR Korea saw them soar into the second round. Mexico were dispatched in the last 16, with Venezuela next to fall thanks to an 89th-minute Azeezat Oduntan penalty.
Brazil’s Greise Kelly has been one of the tournament’s standout players. She’s contributed to eight of the Seleção’s 17 goals, including a tournament-high five assists, while spellbinding defences with her exceptional dribbling.
Nigeria perhaps wouldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t for the brilliance of goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho. The shot-stopper was terrific in the victories over Puerto Rico and Mexico, and has made 16 saves in total.
Aware of the danger Nigeria poses to her team, Brazil coach Rilany said: “I’m expecting an extremely difficult match. Nigeria are a very physical team. By the 90th minute, they’ll probably still be running as if it were the fifth.
“We’ll need to be very strategic with our game plan to find ways to hurt Nigeria.”
The winner will advance to the final scheduled for November 7, while the losing team will compete in the third-place playoff on the same day.
