Nigeria’s cadet female national team, Flamingos’ coach, Bankole Olowookere has acknowledged that South Africa’s Bantwana, his opponents for this weekend’s clash in Pretoria, want to stop him from fulfilling the assignment given him by his country’s football governing body.
Olowookere stated matter of factly that the task on his hands is to ensure that the Flamingos pick a ticket to the upcoming FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, but admitted it will not be a stroll in the park.
Sports247 gathered that Olowookere is staying upbeat about his team’s chances at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria, where they will tango Bantwana in the first leg fixture of the qualifiers’ second round this Saturday, but admitted the hosts will give it everything they have in order to win on home soil.
Olowookere noted, “In terms of playing football with Nigeria, you get a lot of attractions from South Africa. There is so much tension between us, because no one wants to lose the match. So, we just have to look into the situation and make sure that we get it right.”
The tactician also ruled out the possibility of his players celebrating ahead of Saturday’s match, as he warned that they must keep their feet on the throttle of their various engines until the race is over.
“There’s no room for complacency as of this level. Until when you get it done first before you can then talk about bonuses and celebrating. For now, our focus is how we can get the ticket for our nation.
“That is the assignment given to me as a responsibility, and we are really working towards it. We know they will really want to come out with total force against us, but we’ll be ready for them,” Olowookere assured.
