Head Coach Bankole Olowookere expressed gratitude towards the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation for granting the National U17 Girls’ team, Team IJA, an opportunity to participate in the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State. The team, already set for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals, faced a heartbreaking defeat in the final of the female football event against Team Delta. The match culminated in a tense penalty shootout that extended into sudden death at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex on Tuesday evening.
“First and foremost, kudos to the NSC that invited us to participate, and also the NFF. The festival provided an opportunity for us to test some of the new players that we have scouted through local tournaments and the league as well. We were able to integrate some of them into the squad.”
Olowookere highlighted how crucial it was to have such events where emerging talents could be identified and given a platform to showcase their skills. As reported by [www.completesportsnigeria.com], he mentioned,
““Our third goalkeeper was in goal throughout and didn’t concede a single goal in regulation time throughout the festival. I commend the defenders as well.””
The coach acknowledged that despite their outstanding performance during regulation time, their downfall came during penalties due to a momentary lapse in judgment by their goalkeeper.
“He attributed the defeat in the penalty shootout to inexperience on part of our goalkeeper who parried the ball into net instead of away.”
This experience served as a valuable lesson for future competitions.
“We have also seen that we have to train more in area of penalty kicks, going forward.”
These insights from such high-stakes matches are invaluable for teams preparing for major international tournaments like World Cups.
Reflecting on Team IJA’s overall performance at NSF 2024, Olowookere praised
“the concept of Team IJA,”
emphasizing its positive impact not only on player development but also on scouting potential talent from different states participating in female football events.
In conclusion, Bankole Olowookere’s sentiments encapsulate both appreciation for opportunities provided by sports organizations and a commitment to learning from every experience encountered on their journey towards excellence.
Attribution: Original article as reported by [www.completesportsnigeria.com]
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