By Harry Awurumibe, Head, Abuja Bureau
Two second half goals and one in the first stanza helped the national U-17 women’s team, Flamingos to wallop the Abuja-based Academy Boys 3-1 in a friendly match played at the practice pitch of Abuja National Stadium today.
Midfielder Hannah Yusuf out the Flamingos ahead with a cool finish after she was played in by impressive Aanu Salami early in the game and the scoreline stayed same till end of the first half.
But Coach Abimbola Olowookere handled team scored two quick goals in the early minutes of the second half through substitutes,
Yemisi Samuel and Rofiat Imuran who were introduced to add bite to Flamingos attack.
This tactical changes made by the coaching crew led by Oloowokere paid off almost immediately as Samuel scored after the Academy Boys failed to deal with a pull out from the right flank where Imuran supplied the killer pass.
Few minutes later Imuran herself stepped up to take a 20-yards beautiful free-kick which left the opponents goalkeeper stranded for Flamingos third and last goal.
Academy Boys however pulled one goal back with barely 7 minutes to the end of the tie when their star boy, Abdul Amimu’s also struck a 25- yards free-kick which eluded the Flamingos goalkeeper, Nelly Chukwu and her defence line to hit the upright before the rested in the net.
The Flamingos showed great character in the match against the boys to the admiration of the top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials who watched the game.
They include Technical Director, Elder Coach Bitrus Bewarang; Assistant Directors- Abdulrafiu Yusuf and Siji Lagunju and Special Assistant to the NFF President on Women’s Football Affairs, Harry Awurumibe.
The team will fly out of Abuja next Wednesday, March 4 for Conakry for the first leg of the first round of FIFA Women’s World Cup India 2020 African qualifiers against Guinea.
