Flamingos Step Up Preparation For Crucial Guinea Clash In World Cup Qualifier

NIGERIA’S U-17 Women’s National Team, popularly known as the Flamingos, have stepped up their preparations ahead of Saturday’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying first-leg clash against Guinea.

The team held another training session on Thursday morning as the technical crew led by Coach Akeem Busari sharpened tactical shape and physical conditioning ahead of the crucial encounter. The squad is expected to hold its first official training session in Côte d’Ivoire later in the day as preparations enter their final phase.

The Flamingos go into the fixture in strong form, boosted by a dominant 5–0 friendly win over Lakeside Queens during their camping programme in Abuja and Ikenne. The performance has added confidence to a squad aiming to secure a positive result away from home.

Their opponents, Guinea women’s national football team, earned their place in this round after an impressive 8–2 aggregate win over Niger in the earlier qualifying stage, setting up what is expected to be a competitive contest.

The first leg will be played in Abidjan at 4pm local time (5pm Nigeria time), after Guinea was unable to secure an approved home venue. The return leg is scheduled for 30th May at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.

The winner over the two legs will move closer to qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.