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Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari is confident his team will bounce back from their disappointing start at the ongoing 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Nigerian side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening match in Rabat last Saturday.
The West Africans will face tournament debutants Puerto Rico in their second Group B fixture at the Mohammed VI Stadium, Pitch 4, in Rabat, on Tuesday (today).
A victory is crucial for the Flamingos as they seek to keep their hopes of reaching the Round of 16 alive.
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Busari said the team had reviewed their performance against Poland, and would make the necessary adjustments ahead of the encounter.
“We have reviewed our first match against Poland, and I can say we have learnt our lessons. We will improve in every aspect of the game to avoid the mistakes that led to our first defeat,” Busari told reporters.
“We have also watched the North Korea versus Puerto Rico match, and I believe we now have a good understanding of how to approach our next game.”
The encounter is scheduled to kick off at 7pm Nigerian time.
By Adeboye Amosu
3 Comments
I wish these coaches would spend less time talking and more time improving their technical abilities. You cannot give what you do not have. North Korea just demolished Poland 6–1, and Busari could learn a thing or two from the Korean ladies. They are simply too good.
Nigeria and North Korea have both been competing at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup since inception, but look at the difference in their progress. North Korea has won both the U-17 and U-20 titles multiple times, while we keep struggling at tournament after tournament. What are they doing differently, and what can we learn from them?
North Korea has incorporated football programmes into its school curriculum. We need to take football education just as seriously. Schools should be a foundation for identifying talented players early and developing them for our age-group national teams. If we want better results, we must invest heavily in coaching, school football and player development. We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different outcomes.
This is how they are always confident before the fall.
Well said @Wike. Your words are worthwhile and well-informed, not poor and ponderous.