Coach of the Nigeria U-17 women’s team,
Flamingos, Bala Nikyu has selected Azerbaijan 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s
World Cup silver boot winner, Chiwendu Ihezuo and 20 other players to
represent Nigeria at this year’s finals starting in Costa Rica on
Saturday, an official of the Nigeria Football Federation has said.
There are also Joy Bokiri, Aminat Yakubu, Uchenna Kanu, Ugochi Emenayo, Mary Ologbosere, Patience Dike and Tessy Biahwo.
Ihezuo, who will captain the squad as
Nigeria searches for a first-ever triumph in the competition that was
inaugurated in New Zealand in 2008, scored six goals at the last
tournament in Azerbaijan to finish second top-scorer, behind North
Korea’s Ri Un-Sim.
Just as it happened in Trinidad and
Tobago in 2010, when Korea Republic, which eliminated Nigeria after a
pulsating quarter-final match that went into extra time, went ahead to
lift the trophy, France won the trophy in Azerbaijan two years ago after
defeating Nigeria on penalties in the quarterfinals.
Nikyu is confident his girls have
prepared well enough to go all the way, after a 19-day final training
camp in Faro, Portugal that saw the team win all friendly matches except
one – the goalless draw with Belgium’s U-17 women’s team in Brussels on
March 4.
Ihezuo scored five goals when the Flamingos humiliated hosts Azerbaijan 11-0 in a group phase match in 2012.
The Nigerian girls flew out of
Frankfurt, Germany on Wednesday to arrive in San Jose, capital city of
Costa Rica, on Thursday morning. They play their first match against
China on Sunday, with other group phase games against Colombia and
Mexico to follow on March 19 and 23 respectively.
Team list
Joy Bokiri, Aminat Yakubu, Uchenna Kanu,
Rasheedat Ajibade, Fubiana Briggs, Ugochi Emenayo, Ihuoma Onyebuchi,
Chinwendu Ihezuo, Onyinye Okeke, Tessy Biahwo, Ayomide Anibaba, Joy
Duru, Cynthia Aku, Mary Ologbosere, Faith Alex, Olubunmi Elijah, Vivian
Ikechukwu, Augustar Mene, Patience Dike, Mercy Vincent, Desire Ijeh.
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