Following Nigeria’s hard-fought 3-2 victory over Benin Republic in the first leg of the final round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers, Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has identified the key areas his team must improve before the decisive second leg in Lomé, Togo.
The Flamingos came from behind twice to secure a narrow first-leg advantage at the Remo Stars Stadium, but Busari admitted his side was far from its best despite getting the win.
According to the coach, the early goal conceded unsettled his players and disrupted their usual rhythm.
“The early goal affected us psychologically. We became anxious and abandoned our normal style of play.
Instead of keeping possession with 10 or 15 passes, we started rushing our play because of excitement and pressure.”
Busari explained that both goals conceded resulted from defensive lapses rather than tactical shortcomings.
“We prepared for different situations before the match and instructed the players on how to defend against one or two attackers.
“Unfortunately, football is a game of human errors. The first goal came because our cover arrived late after one player was beaten.”
Despite the defensive mistakes, the coach backed his players, insisting errors are part of football and should be corrected through coaching rather than criticism.
“Players will make mistakes. You don’t replace a player every time she makes one. It’s about guiding them, helping them understand what went wrong and ensuring they improve.”
One of the major concerns Busari highlighted was his team’s poor finishing after creating several clear-cut opportunities.
“If we had converted even half of our chances, the game would have been over much earlier. Finishing is one area we must improve before the second leg.”
The coach also praised Benin’s standout forward, acknowledging that the talented attacker caused problems throughout the match.
“She is a quality player with experience at a higher level. Our task now is to study her strengths, understand how she plays and make sure we neutralise her in the return leg.”
Busari stressed that qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco remains the team’s primary objective.
“Everything now is about qualification. It won’t come by magic—it will come through hard work, determination and correcting the mistakes we made in the first leg.”
The Flamingos will travel to Lomé carrying a slender 3-2 advantage, knowing that another disciplined performance will secure Nigeria’s place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
