Nigeria U17 head coach Akeem Busari says the Flamingos must take their chances when they face Mexico in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, www.aclsports.com reports.
“We know there is no second chance, and we let the players know why it is important to take their opportunities once and for all. Mexico are a very good side. I believe they respect us, and we equally have respect for them because every team at this particular stage is a contender for the trophy. We have just talked to the players about high mentality, a sense of readiness and a good approach to the game,” Busari said.
The Flamingos will face Mexico for the second time in the competition, having beaten them 3–0 in the group stage in 2014. He said his team had worked on its approach to the encounter.
“Every team has their strong points and equally their deficiencies. When we’re not in possession of the ball, we fall on the front line to win the ball immediately and take the attack. We open the width and try to take advantage of the brilliance of a one-v-one and know when to run and recover. Those are the things we let them see at training, more repetition, then more psyching for them. The stage we are now is a stage we don’t have to toy with; we have to do more,” he said.
Busari highlighted the team’s attacking combinations and urged the players to avoid complacency.
“We have created a lot of opportunities through our runs, individual play, partnerships and team cohesion. We just pray for more luck. As we have told them, there must be no complacency at this level. We just want to take it all,” he added.
Image: FIFA
