Brazil Coach, Defender Wary Of Flamingos Ahead Of U-17 World Cup Semi-Final
Brazil head coach Rilany and defender Andreyna have acknowledged the challenge Nigeria’s Flamingos will pose when the two teams clash in Wednesday’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup semi-final in Morocco.
Rilany is particularly concerned about Nigeria’s physical strength and stamina, warning that the Flamingos could maintain their intensity throughout the 90 minutes.
“I’m expecting an extremely difficult match. Nigeria are a very physical team. By the 90th minute, they’ll probably still be running as if it were the fifth. We’ll need to be very strategic with our game plan to find ways to hurt Nigeria,” the Brazilian coach said.
Andreyna also expects a demanding encounter, insisting that Brazil must minimise mistakes and execute their tactical plan if they are to secure a place in the final.
“I expect a very tough match. Not just because it’s against Nigeria, but because it’s a World Cup semi-final. The team that makes the fewest mistakes and executes their game plan the best will win this one,” the defender told FIFA.
The centre-back is one of only two players in Brazil’s squad, alongside midfielder Pepe, who featured at last year’s tournament in Morocco. Andreyna scored the decisive penalty in Brazil’s quarter-final victory over Canada in 2025 but was sent off in their 2-0 semi-final defeat to North Korea.
She described another World Cup semi-final appearance as an incredible experience and said she hoped her younger teammates would enjoy the occasion.
Andreyna also credited Brazil’s progress to their collective effort and growing mental strength, while praising teammate Helena for bouncing back from a missed penalty against Poland to score twice in the quarter-final comeback win over China.
“We were so happy to see her bounce back. It’s something I always tell her: a single match never defines who we are as athletes,” she said.
Nigeria will go into Wednesday’s encounter on the back of four consecutive victories following their opening group-stage defeat to Poland.
The semi-final will take place at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm Nigerian time.
