Leading Flamingos A Great Honour, Says Busari

Newly appointed Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has described his role as the leader of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team as a tremendous privilege.

Busari, recently handed the reins by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), takes over a side that clinched the bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. His comments come as the Flamingos ramp up preparations for the second round of qualifying for the 2026 edition of the tournament.

Nigeria’s opponents in that round will be the winner of the preliminary tie between Niger Republic and Guinea. Following the first leg played in Niamey, Guinea secured a commanding 5-2 away victory over Niger, putting them in a strong position ahead of the return fixture in Conakry.

“Serving the nation is an honour for me and the entire coaching crew,” Busari told thenff.com. “We are all ready to give this our best shot.”

He added that the technical crew is currently working together to fine-tune the team’s readiness. “We are presently trying to put our heads together as we prepare the team for the second round fixture.

We are looking to see how best to prepare the girls, play a few friendly games, and get the team into match shape.”

To that end, Busari has invited 36 players to camp, broken down into five goalkeepers, ten defenders, thirteen midfielders, and eight forwards.

The first leg of the second‑round qualifying tie is scheduled for the weekend of 22nd–24th May, with Nigeria hosting the return leg on Saturday, 30th May.