Benin U-17 women’s head coach Idah Azonsou is targeting a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Completesports.com reports.
The Young Amazons lost 3-2 to Nigeria’s Flamingos in the first leg in Ikenne last weekend.
Azonsou’s side will host their neighbours in the reverse fixture at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé, Togo on Saturday.
Azonsou In Buoyant Mood
The gaffer is convinced her side can overturn the deficit against Nigeria, and clinch a World Cup berth.
“We’re drawing on our previous experiences to prepare for the future. Some of these players experienced last season’s elimination against Zambia, and they want to write a different story this time,” Azonsou said in an interview with BENIN TV (SRTB).
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“We’re placing special emphasis on the opening stages of the game. We want to control the early minutes, dictate the tempo and avoid the mistakes that have cost us in the past.
“We know Nigeria is one of the powerhouses of women’s football, so it will be a very difficult match. But we also want to qualify for our first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.”
Tough Defeat In Ikenne
Azonsou also reflected on her team’s performance in the first leg.
“It was a mixed performance. We believed we could have done better. After taking the lead, our aim was to surprise Nigeria early, and we managed to do that. However, we didn’t manage the rest of the game well enough,” added Azonsou.
“Nigeria dominated possession and we conceded goals that could have been avoided. Naturally, that left us disappointed.
“On the positive side, scoring two goals against Nigeria is a significant achievement. It gives us plenty of hope going into the second leg. We now know the areas we need to improve if we are to compete better in the return match.”
By Adeboye Amosu
