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India 2022: Olowookere picks Dah-Zossu, Ajakaye, Afolabi, 18 others for World Cup

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Nigeria’s u-17 women’s team Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has selected team captain Alvine Dah-Zossu, midfield jewel Taiwo Afolabi and top scorer Opeyemi Ajakaye as part of the 21-girl squad for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals.

There are also first-choice goalkeeper Faith Omilana, defenders Comfort Folorunsho, Blessing Sunday and Miracle Usani, midfielders Blessing Emmanuel and Chidera Okenwa, and forwards Omowunmi Bello and Yetunde Ayantosho.

Players and officials are scheduled to depart the shores of Nigeria on Monday, 26th September for a 10-day training camp in Turkey, before the delegation will jet off for India from Istanbul on 6th October.

Matches of this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will take place at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Nigeria’s first match of the campaign is against Germany in Goa on Tuesday, 11th October, starting at 8pm India time (4pm Nigeria time). The Flamingos will then square up to New Zealand on Friday, 14th October also in Goa, before flying to Bhubaneswar to take on Chile on Monday, 17th October.

Since the competition was launched in New Zealand 14 years ago, Nigeria has only once been absent at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup – the 2018 finals staged in Uruguay.

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21 FLAMINGOS FOR FIFA WORLD CUP:

Goalkeepers: Faith Omilana; Linda Jiwuaku; Jessica Inyiama

Defenders: Olamide Oyinlola; Josephine Edafe; Comfort Folorunsho; Miracle Usani; Tumininu Adeshina; Blessing Sunday; Alase Attervall; Immaculata Offiong

Midfield: Chidera Okenwa; Blessing Emmanuel; Mary Aderemi; Bisola Mosaku; Taiwo Afolabi

Forward: Omowunmi Bello; Opeyemi Ajakaye; Edidiong Etim; Alvine Dah-Zossu; Yetunde Ayantosho

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GROUP A: India, USA, Morocco, Brazil

GROUP B: Germany, Nigeria, Chile, New Zealand

GROUP C: Spain, Colombia, Mexico, China

GROUP D: Japan, Tanzania, Canada, France    

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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