Benin U-17 women’s head coach Idah Azonsou believes her side has what it takes to overturn a first leg deficit against Nigeria’s Flamingos and secure a historic World Cup qualification.

The Young Amazons went down 3-2 to Nigeria in the opening leg in Ikenne last weekend, and now travel to the Stade de Kegue in Lome, Togo, for Saturday’s return fixture knowing only a positive result will keep their qualification hopes alive.

Speaking to Benin broadcaster SRTB, Azonsou said the squad is leaning on lessons learned from a previous elimination at the hands of Zambia, with several of the current group determined not to repeat that experience. She explained that controlling the early stages of Saturday’s game will be a priority, with the team focused on setting the tempo from kickoff and avoiding the kind of mistakes that have cost them in the past. She was candid in acknowledging the scale of the task, noting that Nigeria remains one of the powerhouses of African women’s football, but said the chance to reach a first ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is exactly the kind of incentive that can lift her players.

Reflecting on the first leg, Azonsou described the performance as a mixed one. Benin surprised Nigeria by taking an early lead, but were unable to manage the rest of the game as well as they had hoped, with Nigeria dominating possession for long spells and Benin conceding goals the coach felt were avoidable. Even so, she pointed to the fact that her side managed to score twice against Nigeria as a genuine positive to build on, saying it gives the squad real belief heading into the second leg while also making clear where they need to improve.