Busari Reveals Tactical Masterplan Behind Flamingos’ Historic World Cup Triumph

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team coach, Hakeem Busari, has attributed the Flamingos’ historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup triumph to tactical discipline, effective player management and the team’s ability to learn from setbacks.

Busari, who said he felt “elated and happy” after leading Nigeria to the title, disclosed this while speaking to LEADERSHIP Sports at the team’s hotel in Abuja on Tuesday.

The coach said he had believed from the outset that the Flamingos would make a strong impression at the tournament, based on their impressive preparations and performances in the qualifiers.

He recalled that Nigeria defeated Guinea 11-1 on aggregate in the qualifying series before winning all their matches at the WAFU tournament.

“As a coach, I believed we were going to go far in the tournament, looking at what we did in the qualifiers,” he said.

Busari, however, admitted that the opening 2-1 defeat to Poland was a setback but explained that the technical crew chose to encourage the young players rather than subject them to criticism.

“We sat down with the players and talked. You don’t need to bully them at that point because they are young and they will learn from their mistakes,” he said.

He said the coaching staff also relied on tactical analysis to prepare for their crucial semi-final encounter against Brazil, particularly by studying the opponents’ formations and identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

According to him, Brazil alternated between a 3-5-2 formation, while Nigeria deployed either a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 system.

“With this formation, we knew their areas of strength and their weaknesses. So it all came down to tactics and the energy we put into the game,” Busari explained.

He further identified discipline and the players’ ability to follow instructions as decisive factors in Nigeria’s performances, especially their understanding of when to attack and when to defend.

“The girls knew when to go on the offence and when to defend. I was dishing out instructions on the touchline and they followed them,” he added.

Reflecting on the achievement, Busari expressed satisfaction with the players’ response to the technical crew’s guidance and their resilience after the opening defeat.

“I feel elated and happy for what we have achieved,” he said.

The Flamingos recovered from their loss to Poland to defeat Brazil in the semi-finals before edging Japan 2-1 in the final to become the first African nation to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.