Flamingos Coach Busari Backs Nigeria to Bounce Back Against Puerto Rico

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team head coach, Akeem Busari, is confident the Flamingos can recover from their opening defeat when they face Puerto Rico at the ongoing 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Flamingos began their campaign with a 2-1 loss to Poland in Rabat last Saturday, leaving the Nigerian side under pressure to secure a positive result in their next fixture.

Nigeria will face tournament debutants Puerto Rico on Tuesday at the Mohammed VI Stadium, Pitch 4, in Rabat, as they seek to revive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

With qualification for the Round of 16 at stake, the Flamingos will be aiming to claim all three points and strengthen their position in the competition.

Busari said the team had reviewed its performance against Poland and identified areas that needed improvement ahead of the crucial encounter.

“We have reviewed our first match against Poland, and I can say we have learnt our lessons. We will improve in every aspect of the game to avoid the mistakes that led to our first defeat,” he told reporters.

The coach also revealed that his technical crew had analysed Puerto Rico’s opening match against North Korea to prepare a suitable approach for Tuesday’s game.

“We have also watched the North Korea versus Puerto Rico match, and I believe we now have a good understanding of how to approach our next match,” Busari added.

The encounter is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. Nigerian time on Tuesday. A victory would provide the Flamingos with an important opportunity to get their campaign back on track and keep their hopes of progressing to the Round of 16 alive.