U17 WWC: Busari Defends Flamingos Reputation
By Saheed Afolabi
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team head coach, Akeem Busari, has described the Flamingos as no pushovers after their victory over Mexico in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Flamingos defeated Mexico 2-1 to reach the quarter final of the age grade tournament in Morocco.
Busari acknowledged the tactical demands and intensity of knockout football, noting that anxiety often becomes a factor for young players competing at the global tournament.
The Flamingos had to navigate the pressure of the encounter against Mexico to secure their place in the quarter-finals, keeping Nigeria’s hopes of progressing further in the competition alive.
Busari admitted that the knockout stage becomes more tactical and intensity driven due to the anxiety of the teenagers.
“When you come into this kind of competition, and you get to the knockout stages, it’s more tactical and there’s a lot of intensity involved because they’re young and anxiety comes. Today was a tough game, but we’re no pushovers,” Busari said at the postmatch Press Conference.
Nigeria will trade tackles with Venezuela in the quarter final of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on Sunday, November 1st in Rabat.
