Speaking at ..-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
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.
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 ..-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.”
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.
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.”
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.
