Nigeria’s Flamingos will confront Italy in a much-anticipated Round of 16 match on Tuesday at the ongoing FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line.
The match will be at Pitch 2 of the Football Academy Mohamed VI Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. Both countries will be meeting for the first time at this stage of the competition.
Italy with three straight wins; a thrilling 4-3 victory over Brazil, 3-1 victory over hosts Morocco and another commanding 3-0 victory over Costa Rica. They led Group A with maximum points and arrive in Rabat in fine form.
Nigeria, on the other hand, qualified as one of the best third-place teams, after a tough opening to the tournament with a 4-1 loss to Canada and a narrow 1-0 loss to France.
They recovered well with a decisive 4-0 victory over Samoa to guarantee their spot in the Round of 16. The Flamingos will be hoping to improve on that outcome and contend for a spot in the quarter-finals with new-found confidence and vigour.
But the Italians, who are yet to lose a game, spearheaded by Giulia Galli, who leads the tournament in goals with five, will be full of confidence as they try to extend their winning streak.
All eyes will be on Queen Joseph, Nigeria’s leading scorer, whose three goals have come with sharp movement and fearless dribbling.
The Fosla Academy forward’s ability to run at defenders and finish early offers Nigeria a route to goal even under pressure. Support runners stretching the back line and quick switches of play could create the isolations Joseph thrives on.
“Having eyes on you from all over the world makes you feel even more charged up than you would normally be,” Joseph said after her opening-match brace.
It is a classic last-16 contrast: Italy’s fluency and balance versus Nigeria’s athleticism and attacking bite. If the Flamingos reproduce the intensity and clinical edge shown in their final group game—and keep their discipline without the ball—an upset is within reach.
Tuesday night’s encounter, starting at 8pm (WAT), promises to be full of fireworks as both teams contest for a spot in the World Cup’s Round of 8.
NFF/CAF/FIFA.