Flamingos coach Akeem Busari says his team have learnt their lessons from the 2-1 defeat to Poland and will bounce back against Puerto Rico at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria need a win in Rabat to stay alive in Group B.
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Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari is confident his team will bounce back from their disappointing start to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria lost 2-1 to Poland in their opening Group B match in Rabat last Saturday.
They now face tournament debutants Puerto Rico in their second Group B game at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, Pitch 4, in Rabat on Tuesday. Kickoff is at 7pm Nigerian time, and a win is crucial if the Flamingos want to keep their hopes of reaching the Round of 16 alive. Readers can see the Bet9ja promotion code summary for new users.
Busari said the team had reviewed the Poland game and would make adjustments. “We have learnt our lessons,” he told reporters, promising improvement in every aspect of the game to avoid the mistakes that led to the first defeat.
The Flamingos have also done their homework on Puerto Rico, according to Busari, by watching their game against Korea DPR. He said that analysis has given the team a good understanding of how to approach Tuesday’s match.
Poland took the lead through a Wiktoria Skrzypczak penalty in the 33rd minute, awarded after a VAR review, and Natalia Skrok doubled the lead soon after the hour. Nigeria pulled one back in the 79th minute but could not find an equaliser, and an appeal for a late penalty was turned down after another review.
Puerto Rico are making history, because this is the first time any Puerto Rican team has played at a FIFA World Cup. They lost 6-0 to Korea DPR in their opener. New Bet9ja users can claim the YOHAIG Bet9ja bonus.
On paper, that looks like a good draw for Nigeria, but the Flamingos can’t afford to relax. The Poland game showed how quickly a match can slip away, with Nigeria struggling to clear their box before Poland’s second goal.
This is a young side with real pedigree behind it. The Flamingos came into the tournament as WAFU-B champions, and Nigeria finished third at the 2022 World Cup.
The group ends against Korea DPR on Friday, October 23, so Tuesday’s result matters a lot. Korea DPR have already beaten Puerto Rico 6-0 and Poland 6-1.
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📌 Did You Know?
- Nigeria won bronze at the 2022 U-17 Women’s World Cup by beating Germany 3-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
- At the 2024 tournament in the Dominican Republic, the Flamingos won all three group games before losing a quarter-final to the USA on penalties.
- Nigeria have qualified for every edition of the U-17 Women’s World Cup except 2018.
- The Flamingos qualified for Morocco 2026 by beating Guinea 11-0 on aggregate, then winning a final-round tie against Benin.
- The first leg of that tie against Benin ended 3-2 to Nigeria in Ikenne.
- Korea DPR are the back to back defending champions of the tournament.
