Nigeria U17 women’s team head coach Akeem Busari says the Flamingos expect a fiercely contested encounter against Benin ahead of Saturday’s first leg of the final round of the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, www.aclsports.com reports.
The Flamingos host Benin at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with the return leg scheduled for 11 July in Benin. The winners over two legs will secure one of Africa’s four qualification slots for the tournament in Morocco.
Nigeria have been in impressive form ahead of the decisive tie. After entering the qualifiers in the second round, the Flamingos eased past Guinea 11-0 on aggregate, winning 5-0 away before completing the job with a 6-0 victory at home.
Their preparations have also been encouraging, with three convincing friendly victories in which they scored 29 goals without conceding. Victories over Dream Stars Ladies (3-0), Royal Toms Queens (11-0) and Future Stars ’99 (15-0) have further boosted confidence within the squad.
Despite the team’s dominant displays, Busari believes there is still room for improvement.
“For every team, there are strengths and there are deficiencies, but for all the areas we are working on them,” Busari said during the pre-match press conference.
“Like I said, it is still a work in progress. The team we have is one we are proud of now and with continuity we will continue progressing. In football, as long as you keep training, there will always be areas you need to improve.”
The coach also expects Benin to provide a stern test, insisting that the final qualification round leaves little room for complacency.
“When it comes to the U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, it is always a gritty contest. Whether other African teams are coming here or we are going there, everyone wants to qualify for the competition,” he said.
“Nigeria has consistently been one of the contenders, so it is always a tug of war. We know they are prepared and we are prepared as well. The 90 minutes will separate the teams that will eventually qualify.”
Busari was also asked whether facing lower-ranked opposition in the team’s warm-up matches provided enough preparation for tougher opponents.
“It is a process,” he explained.
“We usually submit reports to the Nigeria Football Federation about the things we want for future purposes, and we will continue from there ahead of the World Cup.
“By then we will be able to play stronger games that will really prepare us for the World Cup. But at present, we have to build the team with what is available and what is realistic. This is qualification. When we get to the World Cup, we will look at it.”
Captain Harmony Chidi believes the Flamingos are ready to deliver after weeks of preparation.
“We have worked so hard and our coaches have given us everything,” Chidi said.
“We believe in ourselves. We don’t want to let our coaches down and we want to make Nigerians proud.”
The remaining final-round fixtures will see Senegal face Ghana, Zambia take on Ethiopia, while South Africa battle Kenya for the remaining places at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
