Flamingos head coach Bankole Olowookere has given an update on the team’s preparations for their upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup qualifier against South Africa. Speaking during a press briefing, Olowookere highlighted the strong morale within the squad and emphasized that many of the players are experiencing structured, high-level training for the first time.
“We have been training for over three weeks now and putting the team in shape. So far, so good; everything has been okay in the camp. The concentration is okay, the morale is high, and the expectations are high; we are just waiting for the day of the match for us to play,” Olowookere said.
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He stressed the developmental nature of the program, noting that many of the players are still students who are gradually adapting to the national setup. “You know it is a developmental program; some of them are coming to play in rigorous training like this for the first time in their life, and you cannot take that away from them. They are more or less students who are gradually adapting, and they are responding well because of the excitement of being in the national team camp.”
Addressing the challenges of managing young players, Olowookere added, “We have the role of making the new ones focus, but this childish attitude will sometimes come in. We have been in the system for a while, so we know how to manage that kind of childish attitude. We manage it, and we bounce back, and that’s part of the challenges in the job. So far, so good. They have been able to blend with the ones on the ground, and the ones on the ground are putting them through, and everything is going on fine.”
The coach is confident that this strong team spirit and focused preparation will see the Flamingos build on their progress and deliver a competitive performance against South Africa in their qualifier match.
