By Tejiri Omoefe
Nigeria’s Flamingos head coach, Akeem Busari, has praised his players for their resilience and composure after they defeated Puerto Rico 2-0 in their second Group B match at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Tuesday.
The victory revived Nigeria’s campaign following their 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening fixture, with Busariattributing the improved performance to the players’ mental preparation and ability to remain calm under pressure.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring in the 25th minute, while substitute Precious Oscar sealed the win with a stoppage-time goal in the 93rd minute.
Speaking after the match, Busari described the encounter as a difficult contest, noting that Puerto Rico were determined to secure a result to keep their hopes alive in the competition.
“It was a strong win because Puerto Rico knew it was a game that would decide their fate, so it was a very tough game for both sides.
“We were unable to convert our chances in the first half. Fortunately, we got the second goal towards the tail end of the second half, but it was a very rough game. They are not pushovers,” he said.
The coach also highlighted the importance of psychological preparation in helping the young players recover from their opening defeat and deliver a better performance against Puerto Rico.
“As a handler, when you are down, you look at it and think, how do you come back? It’s all about psyching, and these are young players, so all they need is counselling and guidance on what to do. Today, they were exceptional; they were calmer than in the Poland game,” Busari added.
The Flamingos will face Group B leaders North Korea in their final group match tomorrow, as they seek to strengthen their chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
North Korea have already secured qualification for the round of 16 following their emphatic 6-1 victory over Poland earlier on Tuesday.
