When the Flamingoes step out at the Edgardo Baltodano Briceno Stadium in Liberia on Thursday, March 27 to take on Spain, they will be out to break a jinx.
The Nigerian under-17 women football team will be taking on the Europeans in the last quarter-finals match at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
The team’s teeming followers worldwide will be hoping that the Nigerian side will this time around break the long-time jinx now surrounding one of the world junior women football powerhouses.
They have qualified for every edition of the competition since its inception in 2008, and will now be having their third quarter-final appearance.
It is a stage they have however never gone beyond, losing their last two quarter-finals appearances to Korea Republic and France in Trinidad and Tobago 2010 and Azerbaijan 2012 respectively.
On both occasions, they had lost on penalties.
This time around, they have advanced progressively, after qualifying for the championship proper automatically, following South Sudan’s withdrawal from the African qualifiers.
Their performance since the tournament started has been remarkable, winning all their Group D matches with a 2-1 win each over China PR and Colombia, and 3-0 against Mexico.
Now, having topped their group with nine points, the Flamingoes will have to not only confront their Spanish counterparts but overcome them to reach the semi-finals.
This is a stage where no Nigerian team has ever reached at the competition.
The fact that the present Flamingoes side have improved in their performances as the tournament progressed have however raised hopes that they can do it this time around.
Though Spain lost their first Group C match 0-2 to Japan, they won their second match by beating New Zealand 3-0 and overwhelmed Paraguay 7-1 in their last group match.
With 10 goals to their credit and three against in three matches, Spain appear stronger against Nigeria which have scored seven and conceded two goals.
In beating the Spanish side, the Flamingoes have to be wary of players like Nahikari Gacia and Pilar Garrote, scorer of three goals each, and Andrea Falcon who has two.
But Nigeria also has Uchenna Kanu who has three goals to her credit already.
And there are Rasheedat Ajibade, Aminat Yakubu, Joy Bokiri, and Chinwedu Ihezuo, who seem capable of scoring goals.
But not minding what the Spaniards have to offer, the Flamingoes appear to be determined to go as far as lifting the trophy.
They have an inspiration in their male counterparts who won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in October 2013 in the UAE.
So, beating Spain may just be a step for the Flamingoes in emulating the Eaglets.(NAN)
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