Nigeria’s female cadet national team, Flamingos’ former coach, Bala Nikiyu has posited that the current squad needs lots of luck to come out victorious against Bantyana of South Africa in this weekend’s first leg of their second round qualifier for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
The winner across two legs will pick a ticket into the final round of the qualifiers and gain a step closer to this year’s Cadet Mundial, but Nikiyu warned that the Nigerian squad will need proper planning and luck for them to survive in Pretoria.
However, Sports247 reports further that Nikiyu is not ruling out the chances of the Flamingos holding their own effectively on Saturday at Lucas Moripe Stadium, which he hinted could translate into an away win for Nigeria, especially if they play their hearts out and follow the instructions of their coach.
The veteran women’s football tactician, who has also handled some male teams in the Nigerian league, ruled out worries of a short camping period affecting the Flamingos, as he gave a vote of confidence to their current coach,
Bankole Olowookere, especially after seeing he had limited time to prepare the squad for Saturday’s game.
Nikiyu theorised, “At times, it’s not the period of camping that’s the issue. It’s more about doing the correct thing … maybe going out at the correct time, and luck happens to be there for you.”
Nikiyu also opined that it would be wrong to compare the Flamingos’ short spell in camp with the long-term stay that Bantyana enjoyed, as he believes Coach Olowookere knows his onions and should be able to navigate a winning route for the Flamingos in Pretoria.
“I don’t want to know if South Africa has been camping for two, three months or whatever. What I know is that you need to have a good team and then hope that luck won’t be against you.
“I know he has a good team, and he can stand the test of time, by God’s special grace. It’s not the time frame that’s the issue. It’s all about effectiveness and good preparation. I will also pray that they come out on a better day and get a good result,” Coach Nikiyu submitted.
