Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari is confident his side will get it right in Togo and secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup when they face Benin in the second leg of the final qualifying round, www.aclsports.com reports.
Nigeria take a narrow 3-2 advantage into the return fixture after beating Benin in an entertaining first leg in Ikenne, courtesy of goals from Queen Joseph, Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Kindness Ifeanyi.
Speaking ahead of the decisive encounter, Busari admitted the Flamingos were disappointed not to have won by a bigger margin after failing to convert several scoring opportunities in the first leg.
“In the first leg at home, we expected much more from the team, but unfortunately we couldn’t get it right because we wasted a lot of chances,” Busari said.
The coach revealed that his technical crew used the period between both legs to address the team’s shortcomings while also studying Benin’s strengths.
“After that game, we went back and worked on our weaknesses, especially in the defensive areas. We also studied the opposition, who are a very compact side, and focused on improving our attacking play, individual quality in the final third, penetration, and overall team coordination.”
Busari believes the corrections made will put the Flamingos in a stronger position to finish the job and book their place at the World Cup.
“I believe we have corrected those areas, and by the special grace of God, with the optimism and commitment of the players, we will get it right in this second leg.”
The Flamingos coach also insisted his players are mentally prepared for the challenge despite the pressure that comes with such an important fixture.
“Games of this magnitude always come with pressure. Of course, we wanted to get a more comfortable result at home, but this is still the same tie, just being played in a different venue.
“We have worked on the players’ mentality and reminded them that they can perform anywhere. We’ve played in different places before and have done well.
“We will approach the game with the right mindset, and with God’s grace and a bit of luck on our side, Insha’Allah, we will come out victorious and secure qualification.”
The game will be played on Saturday, 11 July 2026, at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé, Togo, with kick-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Nigerian time. The team that advances on aggregate will qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
