‘It’s unfortunate and painful’ - Nigeria’s coach breaks silence after heartbreaking defeat at FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup

Nigeria's U17 women's national team, the Flamingos, suffered a catastrophic blow to their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup aspirations on Wednesday, falling 0-1 to France in a Group D clash.

The late defeat, secured by Maissa Fathallah's 81st-minute strike, leaves the Nigerian side with zero points after two matches, prompting coach Bankole Olowookere to label the loss as "unfortunate and painful" in his post-match comments to FIFA.

The crucial Group D encounter at the Football Academy Mohammed VI was a desperate affair for the Flamingos, who were seeking redemption following an opening 4-1 thrashing by Canada.

The game saw both teams display conservative defending, resulting in few clear-cut chances, though Nigeria's Chisom Nwachukwu twice tested the French goalkeeper, Chevray Lauryne, with a set-piece and a close-range shot, respectively.

However, the team’s recurring defensive vulnerabilities, which also plagued them against Canada, surfaced again late in the game.

An earlier lapse in the 62nd minute saw goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface exposed, only for Jumai Adebayo to execute a critical goal-line clearance.

Yet, the respite was brief. The decisive moment arrived in the 81st minute when France's Maissa Fathallah managed to slip her low strike past Boniface.

Speaking to FIFA after the final whistle, a visibly disappointed coach Olowookere shared his feelings on the decisive goal and the team’s overall performance.

“It was really unfortunate to concede that late goal, it was painful, heartbreaking even. We’ll just keep working hard and see if we can get something out of it to stay in the tournament."

Olowookere’s comments confirm the perceived improvement in fight and structure compared to the opening 4-1 loss to Canada, where they conceded four goals.

Against France, the team was more compact and defensively organised for long periods. However, the one moment of defensive miscommunication or lapse of concentration cost them the game.

Nigeria, who finished third at the 2022 edition, are now effectively paying the price for the overall five goals conceded and the single goal scored in two matches. The problem is one of sustained defensive discipline and converting pressure into goals.

With the defeat, Nigeria sits in the relegation zone of Group D, with zero points and a -4 goal difference.

France and Canada have sealed their strong positions with six points each. To have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages, the Flamingos must achieve a massive win against the group's debutants, Samoa Island, in their final match on Saturday, October 25.

Given the new 24-team format which allows for the best four third-placed teams to qualify, Nigeria's primary objective against Samoa must be to secure a high-scoring victory to drastically improve their goal difference and put themselves in contention for one of those crucial third-place spots. A win alone may not be enough; the margin of victory will be critical.

Coach Olowookere and his Flamingos now face a simple, yet daunting, task: perform their most clinical game yet against Samoa and rely on external results.

Their World Cup dream hinges on finding the ruthless form they displayed in pre-tournament friendlies and, crucially, avoiding any further defensive errors.