Flamingos head coach Bankole Olowookere has hailed the ongoing Gateway Games 2024 as a key platform for talent discovery, as Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team continues its impressive run at the National Sports Festival.
Olowookere’s squad, competing under the banner of the Independent Junior Athletes (IJA), has already booked a spot in the semi-finals of the women’s football event and will face tournament hosts Ogun State on Sunday.
Reflecting on the team’s participation, Olowookere praised the festival’s role in uncovering future stars of Nigerian football.
“Big plus in terms of developing the players. If we didn’t have the Sports Festival, some of these girls wouldn’t have had this opportunity to play. It wouldn’t have been possible to discover the exceptional talents we have here right now,” the coach stated.
As preparations begin for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, Olowookere is using the competition as a scouting ground to refresh and reinforce his squad.
“We invited eight new players to beef up the team. One or two of them have done well so far — Grace from Fortress Ladies and Maryam from FC Robo. They’ve been exceptional. With more rigorous training, they’ll blend in better with the squad,” he said.
Olowookere also revealed his plans to widen the search beyond the festival.
“We’ve seen promising players from other teams like Abia — especially their goalkeeper — and even more from Lagos. We’ll invite them when we start full preparations for the World Cup. There are still other players out there,” he added.
“I’ll keep moving around the country to attend tournaments, with the aim of giving more girls a chance to fight for a place in the national team.”
The Flamingos’ performance at the Gateway Games, coupled with Olowookere’s proactive talent hunt, signals a strong foundation as Nigeria eyes another successful run on the global stage in 2025.
