Busari Warns Flamingos: Eleven Goals Mean Nothing Against Benin Republic

Akeem Busari does not do sentimentality in the middle of a qualification campaign. The head coach of Nigeria’s Flamingos has spent the past week reminding his players of a simple truth eleven goals against Guinea mean absolutely nothing when you are preparing to face Benin Republic in the final qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The prize in Morocco awaits, but only for the team that wins this two legged tie and Busari has no intention of letting a run of dominant victories breed the complacency that could end Nigeria’s dream at the last hurdle.

“We will begin work soon as preparations intensify,” Busari said after the squad reassembled for camp at the Remo Stars Sports Institute in Ikenne. “There are still aspects of our game that need improvement. They are a well drilled side and they score a lot of goals too. This is a new team that is still growing.” The warning was firm and deliberate. Nigeria have been in exceptional attacking form throughout the qualifying series, but Busari is acutely aware of what a motivated and organised Benin Republic side can do, and he is not prepared to let any sense of invincibility seep into his dressing room before the first leg kicks off. Women’s football fans backing the Flamingos’ push for Morocco can check the Bet9ja promo code for special coverage of women’s national team qualifying matches.

What Nigeria Did to Guinea

The numbers from the Guinea tie are genuinely staggering. The Flamingos won the first leg 5-0 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, with captain Harmony Chidi scoring a hat trick and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi who was simultaneously picking up the NWFL Premiership Player of the Season award for her performances with FC Robo Queens also getting on the scoresheet. The second leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne was, if anything, even more emphatic a 6-0 victory in which Chidi scored her fourth and fifth goals across the two legs, Adegbuyi bagged a brace, and Queen Joseph and Precious Oscar also found the net. The aggregate score of 11-0 was a statement of intent from a squad that Busari has been painstakingly building since taking charge of the team earlier this year.

The performance attracted financial reward as well as footballing plaudits. Sports investor Kunle Soname, who had pledged ₦750,000 for every goal the Flamingos scored in the second leg, honoured his promise after the six goal showing, handing the squad ₦4.5 million in celebration of their qualification. It was a moment of genuine warmth around a team that does not always attract the same public attention as the Super Eagles or Super Falcons, and the gesture underlined the growing appetite among Nigerian sports investors to support women’s youth football at the national level. Supporters wanting to back Nigeria in the Benin Republic tie and follow the path to Morocco can use the Bet9ja YOHAIG welcome offer for enhanced odds on women’s international football.

What Benin Republic Bring to the Table

Benin Republic are not Guinea. That is the essential point Busari wants his players to understand before the first leg on July 3-5 at the Remo Stars Sports Complex. The Young Amazons advanced through their own qualifying round by beating Sierra Leone 5-1 on aggregate winning the first leg 3-0 at the Stade de Kegue before taking the return fixture 2-1. They are a team that scores goals, that has organisation and spirit, and that will arrive at the Remo Stars with the knowledge that only victory over two legs separates them from a first appearance at the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Busari has emphasised in several press interactions since taking charge that the key pillars of his coaching philosophy are team cohesion, tactical discipline and player development. These are not empty phrases across the Guinea tie and the four preparatory matches that preceded it, in which the Flamingos scored 21 goals including a 7-0 and a 6-0 in friendly games, the evidence of a well organised and tactically coherent side is clear. But all of that work only matters if it translates into a result against a Benin Republic side with something significant to play for. The winner of the tie qualifies for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, running from October 17 to November 7, 2026 the biggest stage available to players in this age group. Nigerian football fans who want to follow both legs can register on the Bet9ja platform ahead of the July fixtures.

Nigeria’s Flamingos and the World Cup

The context around this qualification campaign is worth setting out clearly. Nigeria’s Flamingos have appeared at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup eight times since their debut in 2008, with their best result being a third place finish at the 2022 edition. They are one of the most consistent African nations in the competition’s history, and reaching Morocco would extend that record and give Busari’s generation of players the global experience that so often proves decisive in shaping the long-term careers of young Nigerian women footballers. Many of the Super Falcons players who have gone on to play in European leagues had their first major international exposure at U-17 level, and the pathway from this competition to the senior team is well-established.

Busari has spoken consistently about wanting to develop players capable of representing Nigeria at every level, and the Benin Republic tie is the most concrete expression of that ambition to date. Win it, and the Flamingos are at a World Cup. Lose it, and the squad faces the difficult task of rebuilding motivation and momentum after coming so close. Everything in the preparation points to a coach and a group of players who understand the stakes. The ₦4.5 million and the congratulations have been pocketed. The work on what comes next begins now.