Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has selected 23 Flamingos for Saturday’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup third round, second clash between Nigeria and Egypt at the Petrosports Stadium, Cairo.

Team captain Alvine Dah-Zossu, goalkeeper Faith Omilana, defenders Comfort Folorunsho, Miracle Usani and Blessing Sunday, midfielders Taiwo Afolabi and Blessing Emmanuel, and forwards Opeyemi Ajakaiye, Anastasia Atume and Omowunmi Bello have made the cut alongside 13 others.

Bello scored two of the goals that condemned the Egyptian girls to a 4-0 defeat in Abuja last week Sunday, after team’s top scorer Opeyemi Ajakaiye opened the account at the MKO Abiola National Stadium. Defender Miracle Usani netted the other goal.

The Flamingos contingent will depart Nigeria on Thursday, with the encounter set for the Petrosports Stadium as from 10pm on Saturday, 30^th April. The winner on aggregate will qualify for the final round of the African series, where it will await the winner of the Ethiopia/South Africa fixture. The Ethiopian girls trounced their South African counterparts 3-0 away in Johannesburg in the first leg.

This year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will hold in India, 11^th – 30^th October.

FLAMINGOS FOR EGYPT:

Goalkeepers: Faith Omilana; Linda Jiwuaku

Defenders: Blessing Sunday; Comfort Folorunsho; Tumininu Adeshina; Olamide Oyinlola; Josephine Edafe; Miracle Usani; Confidence Nwoha; Mistura Yusuf.

Midfielders: Blessing Emmanuel; Taiwo Afolabi; Chidera Okenwa; Joy Igbokwe

Forwards: Omowunmi Bello; Mercy Itimi; Alvine Dah-Zossu; Anastasia Atume; Opeyemi Ajakaiye; Yetunde Ayantosho; Judith Okah; Bisola Mosaku; Raheemot Adebayo 

On a whole, Naija Ratels time in the Flying Officers Cup has been full of positives. The big win against Kaduna Queens, the 2-0 win over Royal Queens and the 1-1 draw against Nasarawa Amazons has shown that the team is heading towards something great.

“Am proud of my players, they showed alot of class all through the competition. I am glad to say we are heading for something great.

” The team is young and want to win all games, they are energetic and have the never say die spirit. I am glad we have our heads high heading to play against Edo Queens in the third place, having lost to them narrowly during the group stages.

“This preseason Championship has brought us alot of opportunity to know where we stand and how we can improve on our games. We shall continue to work hard as a team and get better with every time given to us. He concluded

Olowookeere who remains modest despite his team’s 5-0 mauling of Kaduna Queens, admitted during the week that his team is young and just gathering momentum, but definitely won’t be pushovers.

“We are building a new team and am sure you know it will take some time before we have a near perfect team. He told Flying Officers Cup Media.

“I have told the players not to get carried away with our victory against Kaduna Queens, eventhough I think it will spur us to do more against both Edo Queens and Royal Queens.

“We look forward to our next game against Royal Queens on Wednesday with alot of optimism. Hopefully, we can get a favourable result. He concluded.