Flamingos head coach, Bankole Olowookere, has expressed disappointment over his team’s failure to convert their scoring chances during Nigeria’s 4-1 defeat to Canada in their opening match of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Nigerian girls got off to a shaky start after Canada’s Gabriela Istocki opened the scoring in the second minute. However, Queen Joseph restored hope for the Flamingos with an equaliser midway through the first half after pouncing on a loose ball. Despite creating several opportunities to take the lead, the team was repeatedly denied by Canada’s goalkeeper, Khadijah Cisse, who made key saves to keep her side ahead.

As the game progressed, the Flamingos struggled to maintain momentum. Canada took full advantage of defensive lapses in the final minutes, with Julia Amireh scoring twice and Melisa Kekic adding another to seal a convincing win for the North Americans.

Speaking after the match, Coach Olowookere admitted that poor finishing cost his team dearly. “This was a huge game. Sometimes mistakes happen. We had our chances in the first half but didn’t take advantage of them, and we paid dearly for it,” he said in an interview with FIFA.com. “It’s a lesson for us. We’ll go back, analyse the game, and work harder to bounce back.”

The Flamingos will look to recover when they face France in their next group match on Wednesday in Rabat, hoping to keep their qualification hopes alive.