Nigeria striker Ramotalahi Kareem says the Falconets are prepared to fight for a place in the quarter-finals when they face England in the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Falconets booked their knockout-stage place with a commanding 10-1 victory over New Caledonia in Lodz on Sunday. Kareem was central to the result, scoring a hat-trick as Moses Aduku’s side produced a comprehensive win.
England also reached the last 16 after finishing second in Group B behind Brazil, setting up a meeting with Nigeria in Bielsko-Biala on Thursday, September 17.
Kareem believes Nigeria can overcome the challenge posed by England, although she acknowledged the strength of their opponents.
“We hope to achieve great things now that we’ve made it through the group stage. I’m really pleased with my hat-trick. My job is to score goals, and helping the team today made me very happy,” Kareem told FIFA.com.
The striker said the team would use the time available to prepare thoroughly before taking on England.
“We’re ready for the match against England. We’ll prepare as well as we possibly can because they are a strong side. We will give our all and fight to progress to the next round.”