Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has urged his players to remain focused and avoid complacency as Nigeria seek to advance further at the ongoing 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The West Africans secured their place in the Round of 16 with an impressive 3-1 victory over defending champions North Korea on Friday, recovering from a slow start to the competition.
Nigeria will face the runners-up in Group F for a place in the quarter-finals, with Australia, Mexico and Chile still battling for the position.
Despite expressing satisfaction with his team’s performance against North Korea, Busari cautioned his players against getting carried away by the impressive result, stressing that stronger performances would be required to progress further in the tournament.
“It was one of the most difficult matches that we’ve played so far. We were up against a real team of champions. We played well, but the girls are young, and I certainly don’t want them to get carried away,” Busari told FIFA.
“The matches are going to get more difficult. We want to show more character, mentality and intensity in our play. We have to make sure we don’t become complacent. We respect the game, the referees and the rules; that’s how we’ll keep progressing.”
