Busari eyes World Cup final, vows to lead Flamingos past Brazil

By Tosin Omojola

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team head coach, Akeem Busari, has vowed to make the country proud after guiding the Flamingos to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Busari made the pledge after Nigeria defeated Venezuela to reach the last four. He described the achievement as a dream come true, while acknowledging that his players overcame mistakes and maintained their determination throughout the match.

Speaking to FIFA after the game, Busari praised his players’ commitment and fighting spirit, saying “We gave everything on the pitch tonight. We wanted to keep the ball and play our game, but we made some mistakes. We kept pushing until the end,” he said.

The coach said reaching the semi-finals was a significant milestone in his career, adding ” Reaching the semi-finals is a dream come true for me and a great achievement. I’m looking forward to it because I want to make my country proud. We want to give our best in the next match and show everyone what we can do,” he added.

Nigeria secured the 1-0 quarter-final victory through captain Azeezat Oduntan’s 89th-minute penalty after Oluebube Umejiaku was fouled inside the area.

The win extended Nigeria’s impressive run in Morocco and kept alive their hopes of claiming their first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

Busari and his players will face Brazil in the semi-finals on November 4 as they pursue a place in the final.