Busari demands improvement as Flamingos duo savour World Cup milestones

Nigeria’s Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has challenged his players to improve despite their 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, insisting that the team must become more clinical in front of goal as the competition intensifies.

The Nigerian side bounced back from their opening 2-1 defeat to Poland with a hard-fought victory over Puerto Rico, securing their first three points of the tournament and keeping their Round of 16 qualification hopes alive.

However, while pleased with the result, Busari admitted that his players could have made the victory more comfortable, particularly after missing several opportunities in the first half.

Speaking at the post-match presser, the Flamingos coach acknowledged the importance of the result, noting that Puerto Rico approached the encounter with the knowledge that another defeat would leave their qualification hopes in serious danger.

“It was a very thorough and strong win because Puerto Rico knew this was a game that could decide their fate. It was a really tough contest between both sides,” Busari said.

The coach was particularly concerned about Nigeria’s inability to convert their early chances, explaining that greater efficiency in the final third would have helped his team establish control much earlier.

“We were unable to convert our chances in the first half, with a couple of misses. Unfortunately, we only got the second goal towards the tail end of the game, but it was a very tough match.

“They are not pushovers. The competition is getting tougher and more intense.”

Busari praises Flamingos’ response after Poland defeat

Beyond the three points, the victory represented an important psychological response for Nigeria following their disappointing opening-day defeat to Poland.

Busari explained that managing the players’ emotions after that setback was an important part of the preparation for the Puerto Rico encounter, particularly given the age and development of the squad.

Rather than subjecting the young players to excessive criticism, the coach revealed that the technical crew focused on counselling, encouragement and helping them understand how to recover from disappointment.

For Busari, the ability to remain calm and learn from mistakes was just as important as the result itself.

“As a handler, when you are down, you look at it and ask yourself, how do you come back? This was what we were discussing and telling the lads,” he said.

“They are young, so we don’t need to bully them or criticise anyone. It’s all about counselling and telling them what they need to do.”

The coach also admitted that Nigeria were not at their best against Puerto Rico, although he was encouraged by the improvement in the team’s composure compared with their performance against Poland.

“Today, we were not exceptional. We are just calmer today than we were during the Poland game, so I think that is a good thing.”

With the Flamingos now preparing for a difficult encounter against defending champions North Korea, Busari will be hoping that the victory provides the confidence his players need while recognising that a significant improvement will be required against stronger opposition.

Precious Oscar celebrates first World Cup goal

While Busari focused on the team’s overall performance, substitute Precious Oscar had a personal milestone to celebrate after coming off the bench to score Nigeria’s second goal.

The forward’s contribution proved crucial in helping the Flamingos secure the victory, and she expressed her gratitude after opening her goalscoring account at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Oscar revealed that she had prayed before entering the pitch, hoping to make a positive impact and help relieve the pressure on her teammates.

“First of all, I’m grateful to God Almighty because it is by His grace,” she said.

“Before I entered the pitch, I prayed to God, asking Him to help me because anything can happen. I asked Him to help me relieve the pressure on my team. To God be the glory, I’m happy that I did it.

“This is my first-ever World Cup goal, and I’m so happy about it.”

The substitute’s decisive contribution underlined the importance of Nigeria’s options from the bench, particularly in a tournament where matches can become increasingly demanding as the group stage progresses.

Oscar also explained that her experience at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup earlier in the year had helped her approach the occasion with greater confidence and encouraged her to motivate her teammates when she entered the game.

The forward said she drew on the lessons from her previous appearance at the U-20 World Cup tournament to remind the Flamingos that the contest was not over and that they still had an opportunity to secure the result.

“Yes, it really helped. It was about taking the experience from that tournament and bringing it into this year’s U-17 World Cup,” she explained.

“When I entered the pitch, I had to encourage my teammates and tell them that it wasn’t over and that anything could happen. So, we kept pushing despite the pressure.”

Oscar targets victory against North Korea

With Nigeria set to face North Korea in their next Group B fixture, Oscar has made it clear that the Flamingos will approach the encounter with the ambition of securing another victory.

North Korea have emerged as one of the tournament’s strongest sides after recording emphatic wins over Puerto Rico and Poland, scoring 12 goals across their opening two matches.

The defending champions’ attacking quality presents a major challenge for Nigeria, but Oscar believes the victory over Puerto Rico will provide a timely confidence boost ahead of the encounter.

When asked about the team’s mindset going into the match, the forward gave a straightforward response.

“Our mindset is to win, and I thank God for these three points because they will boost me and my teammates to come out stronger in the game against North Korea.”

The Flamingos will need to combine that confidence with greater precision in front of goal and defensive discipline if they are to compete with the Asian champions.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi delighted with first World Cup Goal

Match MVP Oluwakemi Adegbuyi also had reason to celebrate after making her mark on the global stage, describing her first goal at the tournament as a special moment in her young career.

The forward acknowledged the difficulty of the encounter but praised the team’s determination to secure the three points, highlighting the importance of the victory to Nigeria’s campaign.

“The game was not easy for us, but we tried our best and we were able to get the three points today,” Adegbuyi said.

She described the goal as a significant personal achievement, expressing excitement at scoring on what she considers the biggest stage of her footballing journey.

“I’m happy and very excited because this is my first goal in these tournaments, on the biggest stage. I’m very happy to score here, on the biggest stage of my life, because this is just the beginning.

“I promise to make my family and the whole nation proud.”

Adegbuyi’s comments reflected the emotion surrounding the Flamingos’ victory, with the young players gaining valuable experience while taking their first steps towards establishing themselves on the international stage.

Flamingos turn attention to North Korea

The victory over Puerto Rico has given Nigeria a much-needed lift after their opening day defeat, but the Flamingos face a significantly tougher examination in their next outing against North Korea.

Busari’s side will need to improve their finishing, maintain their composure and limit the spaces available to an opponent that has demonstrated its ability to punish defensive mistakes.

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The coach’s assessment also suggests that the technical crew are keen to balance the encouragement of young players with the need for greater tactical discipline and improved execution.

For Oscar and Adegbuyi, the Puerto Rico encounter provided memorable personal milestones, while the result offered the entire squad a chance to rebuild confidence.

However, the ultimate test of Nigeria’s progress will come against North Korea, where the Flamingos must demonstrate that their response to the Poland defeat can translate into a competitive performance against one of the tournament favourites.

With three points secured, the focus now shifts to whether Nigeria can build on their recovery and keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages firmly on track.