HAKEEM BUSARI SILENCES CRITICS, LEADS NIGERIA’S FLAMINGOS TO HISTORIC WORLD CUP FINAL





Coach Akeem Busari has made history after guiding Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, to their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final in Morocco.

Busari’s side booked their place in the final after producing an impressive 3-1 victory over tournament favourites Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final encounter.

Three second-half goals from Queen Joseph in the 56th minute and Awawu Bashiru, who scored a brace in the 71st and 80th minutes, secured a memorable victory for the Nigerian girls. Brazil scored a late consolation goal in the 89th minute.

The achievement marks a historic milestone for Nigerian women’s football, as the Flamingos surpassed their previous best performance of finishing third at the 2022 edition in India.

However, the journey to the final was not without challenges.

The Flamingos began their campaign with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group-stage fixture, raising questions about the team’s ability to compete for the title.

But Busari and his girls responded with determination, recording a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico in their second group match before producing a remarkable 3-1 win against defending champions North Korea in their final group encounter.

Nigeria continued their impressive run in the knockout stages, defeating Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16 to book a quarter-final meeting with Venezuela.

The Flamingos secured their semi-final ticket with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Venezuela, courtesy of Azeezat Oduntan’s late 89th-minute penalty.

Their remarkable run continued against Brazil, where they delivered one of their finest performances of the tournament to secure a historic place in the final.

FLAMINGOS’ ROAD TO THE FINAL

Group Stage: Nigeria 1-2 Poland

Group Stage: Nigeria 2-0 Puerto Rico

Group Stage: Nigeria 3-1 North Korea

Round of 16: Nigeria 2-1 Mexico

Quarter-final: Nigeria 1-0 Venezuela

Semi-final: Nigeria 3-1 Brazil

With six matches played, five victories recorded and just one defeat, Busari has guided the Flamingos to the biggest achievement in the history of Nigeria’s participation in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Nigerian girls will now turn their attention to the final against Japan on Saturday, November 7, 2026, with an opportunity to make even greater history by winning the country’s first-ever title in the competition.

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