Nigeria’s Under-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, are refusing to relax ahead of their decisive World Cup qualifier this weekend. Head coach Akeem Busari has warned his squad against complacency, insisting they will not take Guinea lightly despite holding a massive advantage.
The Flamingos will host Guinea for the second leg of their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup second-round qualifying fixture on Sunday, May 31, 2026. The encounter takes place at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, with kickoff at 4:00 PM. Nigeria enters the home tie in a dominant position after securing an emphatic 5-0 victory during the first leg on May 23 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Speaking from the team’s training camp on Friday, May 29, Coach Busari admitted that keeping young players grounded after a heavy away victory is a major task.
“Complacency will naturally set in… I see Guinea as a team that can still want to fight back,” Busari said. “On our side, we still need to give more because we are playing at home. Our fans want to see the beauty of the game… we want to win excellently.”
Busari compared the campaign to preparing for a school examination, noting that football success requires strict discipline and continuous improvement, regardless of the previous scoreline.
With the Guinean squad already training in Nigeria, the Flamingos are aiming for another dominant display. The aggregate winner of this tie will advance to the final round of the African qualifiers. Ultimately, the Nigerian girls are highly motivated to replicate or exceed the feat of the 2022 squad, which secured a historic third-place bronze medal finish in India.
