Bala Nkiyu picks 25 for Flamingoes’ Training Tour in Portugal

Bala Nkiyu picks 25 for Flamingoes’ Training Tour in Portugal

Head Coach of the Nigeria U17 Women team Bala Nkiyu has picked 25 players for the training tour billed for Faro, Portugal in the final phase of their preparation for the 2014 FIFA U-17 women World Cup in Costa Rica.
A 33-man delegation of the Nigeria U17 national team made up 25 players and 8 officials departed the country’s capital, Abuja by 11pm on Friday, for a training tour of Faro, Portugal aboard on a Lufthansa Airline flight.

Expectedly on board were familiar faces like Captain Biawo Tessy Kesiena, Chinwendu Ihezuo who both starred at the last U17women World Cup in Azerbaijan.

On the list also are Uchenna Kanu, Esther Elijah, Ugochi Emenayo, Aminat Yakubu, Cynthia Aku, Mary Ologbosere, Joy Duru, Joy Bokiri as goalkeeper Onyinyechi Okeke, Ginika Ikeh and Onyebuchi Goodness were not left out by Coach Bala Nkiyu.

The Flamingoes will be involved in an international friendly match with Belgium U17 women team in Brussels on 4th March and other tune-up games with some clubs in Portugal during a 19-day training camp at the Browns Sport and Leisure Club in Faro, Portugal.

The Nigeria U17 women will return to Faro from Brussels and then fly from Madrid, Spain to San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, on 12th March, with their first match of the tournament against China on 16th March.

Nigeria will trade tackle with China, Mexico and Colombia in Group D at the tournament that will be played across four stadiums, three in San Jose and another in Liberia.

The 25-man list is expected at the end of the training tour to be trimmed to 21 for the 4th FIFA U17 Women Finals in Costa Rica, taking place through 15th March - 5th April this year.