FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Why Nigeria lost 4–1 to Canada – Olowookere

Head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, Bankole Olowookere, has attributed his side’s heavy loss to Canada in their opening game of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to missed scoring opportunities.

The Flamingos began their campaign on a disappointing note, falling 4–1 to the North Americans on Monday.

Canada took an early lead just two minutes into the game through Gabriela Istocki, before Queen Joseph restored parity for Nigeria in the 30th minute, capitalizing on a loose ball inside the box.

Despite dominating portions of the first half, the Flamingos failed to convert their chances, with Canada’s goalkeeper, Khadijah Cisse, pulling off a series of brilliant saves to deny the Nigerians.

The missed opportunities proved costly as Canada netted three late goals through Julia Amireh (who scored twice) and Melisa Kekic, sealing a convincing victory at the expense of the West Africans.

Reacting after the game, Coach Olowookere admitted that his team must learn from their mistakes and improve ahead of their next fixture.

“This was a huge game. Sometimes mistakes happen. We had our chances in the first half, but we didn’t take advantage of them, and we paid dearly for it,” Olowookere told FIFA.com.

“I think it’s a lesson we’ll keep learning. We’ll go back, watch how we played, and see how we can bounce back.”