'Nigeria is a good team' - Long reveals super talented USA squad is ready to face free-scoring Flamingos

Duke women's soccer forward Mary Long says she is confident in the abilities of a highly talented United States U17 squad ahead of Saturday's showdown with Nigeria's Flamingos in a 2024 Fifa U17 Women's World Cup clash scheduled to hold at Estadio Cibao FC, Santiago de los Caballeros.

The US WYNT star acknowledged that the Flamingos are a high scoring side but feels confident they can win by sticking to their game plan.

Nigeria scored twenty five goals in six games in the African qualifiers for the Fifa U17 World Cup, beating Central African Republic 12-0, Burkina Faso 7-1 and Liberia 6-1 on aggregate.

And they have been firing on all cylinders in Dominican Republic, with nine goals across three games, bettered only by Spain and North Korea in the group stage. 

Flamingos midfielder Shakirat Moshood currently tops the tournament's scoring chart with four goals, scoring in every match her team has played so far.

Nigeria have faced the United States once at the Fifa U17 Women's World Cup and needed a shootout to edge the Americans after a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinal of the last edition of the tournament. 

Speaking to US Soccer, Long said: "This is a super talented group of girls and it's been fun so far in the tournament. We continue to work hard and play well as a team.

"Nigeria is a good team, scored a lot of goals in this tournament, but I think we are ready if we stick to the game plan like we always do."

If the Flamingos advance to the semifinals of the World Cup, they will meet the winner of the tie between North Korea and Poland on October 30.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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