Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Emmanuel Ikpeme, has charged the Falconets and Flamingos to secure important victories in their upcoming competitions, while commending Enugu Rangers for their impressive continental triumph.
Ikpeme urged the U-20 women’s national team, Falconets, to approach their final group-stage fixture against New Caledonia at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, with determination and a clear objective of securing a convincing win.
Speaking to the players by phone after their training session in Łódź on Saturday, Ikpeme said the team still had a strong opportunity to reach the Round of 16 but must convert its chances into goals.
“You have a great chance to qualify for the Round of 16 if you win and win well against New Caledonia,” he told the players, urging them to maintain focus, ambition and a clear sense of purpose.
The Falconets currently have one point from two matches after a 0-0 draw with China on Thursday and a defeat to Spain in their opening game.
Ikpeme stressed that goals would be crucial against New Caledonia, as Nigeria needs to overturn the two-goal deficit from the Spain defeat and improve its goal difference to strengthen its chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
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Meanwhile, Ikpeme visited the Flamingos camp on Saturday ahead of their departure for the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Tournament in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
The competition begins on September 15, with Nigeria hoping to improve on its performance in the inaugural edition in 2024, where the team reached the final before losing to hosts Ghana on penalties following a 2-2 draw.
Ikpeme challenged the Flamingos to go for the title and use the tournament as valuable preparation for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
He urged the players to approach the competition with confidence and positive energy, stressing that success in Côte d’Ivoire would help build a winning mentality ahead of the World Cup.
