Nigeria’s U17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have arrived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of their participation in the second edition of the WAFU B U17 Girls Tournament.
The team departed Abuja on Monday morning and reached the Ivorian capital before continuing their journey to Yamoussoukro, where the tournament will take place from September 15 to 28.
Coach Hakeem Busari has selected 20 players for the competition, which will serve as an important preparation exercise for Nigeria and Ghana ahead of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Nigeria and Ghana are among Africa’s four representatives at this year’s global tournament, alongside Kenya and Zambia. The FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to hold in Morocco from October 17 to November 8.
The Flamingos have been drawn in Group B, where they will face North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland. Ghana’s Princesses, meanwhile, are in Group C alongside Canada, Brazil and Norway.
Nigeria’s opening fixture at the WAFU B tournament has also changed following the withdrawal of Benin Republic from the competition. The Flamingos will now face Niger Republic on Wednesday instead of Ghana.
Meanwhile, the West African Football Union Zone B has appointed 14 referees to officiate at the tournament. The officials were selected from the Young Talents refereeing course held in Ghana six months ago, with two referees chosen from each of the seven countries in the WAFU B zone.
For the Flamingos, the tournament provides valuable competitive preparation as they continue their build up towards the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
