Flamingos head coach Hakeem Busari believes the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Tournament has arrived at the perfect time for Nigeria, describing the competition as a valuable opportunity to expose his players to competitive football and address weaknesses before next month’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria begin their campaign against Niger Republic in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, on Wednesday, with Busari viewing the regional championship as much more than another tournament.
For the coach, it represents an important testing ground with the World Cup now barely a month away.
The Flamingos travelled to Côte d’Ivoire with a 20-player squad as preparations move into a decisive phase ahead of the global tournament in Morocco.
Busari said the World Cup remains the team’s primary objective but believes competitive matches at WAFU-B will provide something training sessions alone cannot replicate.
He wants his players to use the tournament to sharpen their strengths, identify deficiencies and improve areas that could prove decisive when they eventually face the world’s best teams.
The timing, he believes, could hardly be better.
Nigeria’s opening fixture was originally scheduled to be against fierce rivals Ghana, but the withdrawal of Benin Republic forced organisers to rearrange the programme, with Niger Republic becoming the Flamingos’ first opponents instead.
The highly anticipated Nigeria-Ghana encounter has consequently been moved to Saturday, September 19.
That late adjustment has done little to change Busari’s broader objective.
Rather than focusing solely on winning the regional competition, the coach wants to see how his players respond to the demands of competitive football as he continues shaping the squad for Morocco.
The Flamingos have already settled into Yamoussoukro and trained following their arrival, allowing Busari and his technical crew to turn their attention towards the opening assignment against Niger.
The WAFU-B tournament carries added significance because both Nigeria and Ghana are among Africa’s four representatives at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, alongside Kenya and Zambia.
Nigeria qualified for the World Cup after defeating Benin Republic home and away in the final round of the African qualifiers.
The global competition will be staged in Morocco from October 17, with the Flamingos drawn in Group B alongside defending champions North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland.
That difficult World Cup group makes the competitive experience in Côte d’Ivoire particularly important.
Busari believes his players need to reach their best possible condition before Morocco and sees the WAFU-B championship as an opportunity the team cannot afford to waste.
For the Flamingos, therefore, the immediate challenge is Niger Republic.
But everything Nigeria do in Yamoussoukro will have a bigger destination in mind.
The WAFU-B trophy may be on offer in Côte d’Ivoire, but for Busari and his players, the real examination is coming in Morocco — and this tournament is where they intend to get ready for it.
