Nigeria's U-17 women's national team, the Flamingos, secured a crucial 3-1 away win against South Africa's Bantwana in the first leg of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Qualifiers. Despite the convincing victory, head coach Bankole Olowookere remains cautious, warning his players to stay focused ahead of the return leg.

The Flamingos took the lead through Shakirat Moshood's 20th-minute strike, followed by Harmony Chidi's penalty conversion. Although Bantwana pulled one back through Katleho Malebana's penalty, Chidi sealed the win with her second goal in the 68th minute.

Olowookere acknowledged the challenges of playing away from home, saying, "We played against the home team with home support... They want to show the people that they play good football alongside the Federation."

Despite being satisfied with the result, Olowookere emphasized the importance of staying vigilant, stating, "We just need to be careful not to concede another goal... We need to contain the pressure, make some counter-attacks, and if we can get another goal, fine."

The return leg is scheduled for Saturday at the Remo Stars' Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, with the winner advancing to the final round of the series. The ultimate goal is to secure one of Africa's four spots at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.