Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has said it is important for his players to improve on their performance against Benin Republic in the second leg of their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final qualifying round fixture.
Nigeria defeated the Young Amazons 3-2 in the first leg at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne on Sunday.
Benin made a dream start when Yenido Romaine Gandonou fired them into the lead in the 14th minute, silencing the home crowd.
The Flamingos responded positively, with Queen Joseph restoring parity 10 minutes later to ensure the teams went into the break level.
Banking on their dominance after the restart, Nigeria took the lead for the first time in the 62nd minute through Oluwakemi Adegbuyi.
Benin refused to back down, however, and Nazifatou Dangui equalised in the 72nd minute to set up a tense finale.
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The Flamingos regained the advantage just three minutes later, with Ifeanyi Kindness finding the back of the net to seal a narrow but crucial first-leg victory for Akeem Busari’s side.
Busari Demands More From Flamingos
Busari admitted his side failed to meet their usual standards, citing lapses in defensive concentration and poor finishing as the key areas that must be addressed before the second leg.
“The early goal affected us psychologically. We became anxious and abandoned our normal style of play,” Busari said after the game.
“Instead of keeping possession with 10 or 15 passes, we started rushing our play because of excitement and pressure.
“Everything now is about qualification. It won’t come by magic—it will come through hard work, determination and correcting the mistakes we made in the first leg.”
The decisive second leg will hold at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé next weekend.
By Adeboye Amosu
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