Nigeria‘s U17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, are set to face New Zealand in the opening match of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. The match is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 17, at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.
The Nigerian team, who were the first African side to qualify for this year’s World Cup, come into the tournament with high hopes after their impressive performance in the qualifying rounds. Harmony Chidi, with 12 goals in six qualifying games, is a key player to watch for Nigeria.
New Zealand, led by head coach Alana Gunn, are also prepared for a tough challenge. They qualified for the World Cup with a narrow 1-0 win over Fiji in the final of the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship. The Young Football Ferns have a strong squad, including several players from their Championship-winning side in Fiji.
The match will be available to watch live and free on FIFA+. This is the first of three group stage matches for both teams, with New Zealand also facing the Dominican Republic and Ecuador, and Nigeria aiming to improve on their bronze medal finish from the 2022 tournament.
