Akeem Busari harps on clinical finishing after Flamingos win over Puerto Rico

Nigeria’s Flamingos head coach, Akeem Busari, has urged his players to improve their finishing despite securing a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico in their second Group B match at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Nigerian youngsters bounced back from their opening 2-1 defeat to Poland to claim their first three points of the tournament, keeping their hopes of advancing to the Round of 16 alive.

However, Busari insisted that his team must become more clinical in front of goal as the competition enters a more demanding phase.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, the Flamingos coach described the victory as a hard-fought result, noting that Puerto Rico approached the encounter knowing that another defeat could seriously damage their qualification prospects.

“It was a very thorough and strong win because Puerto Rico knew this was a game that could decide their fate. It was a really tough contest between both sides,” Busari said.

The coach expressed concern over Nigeria’s failure to convert several opportunities in the first half, arguing that better finishing would have allowed his side to establish control earlier.

“We were unable to convert our chances in the first half, with a couple of misses. Unfortunately, we only got the second goal towards the tail end of the game, but it was a very tough match.

“They are not pushovers. The competition is getting tougher and more intense,” he added.

Beyond the victory, Busari welcomed his players’ response to their opening-day loss to Poland, explaining that managing their emotions and rebuilding their confidence were central to the team’s preparations for the Puerto Rico encounter.

The coach revealed that the technical crew prioritised encouragement and counselling rather than excessive criticism, stressing the importance of helping the young players learn from setbacks.

“As a handler, when you are down, you look at it and ask yourself, how do you come back? This was what we were discussing and telling the lads,” he said.

“They are young, so we don’t need to bully them or criticise anyone. It’s all about counselling and telling them what they need to do.”

Busari admitted that the Flamingos were still short of their best performance against Puerto Rico but was encouraged by the improvement in their composure compared with the Poland encounter.

“Today, we were not exceptional. We are just calmer today than we were during the Poland game, so I think that is a good thing,” he noted.

Nigeria will now turn their attention to their final Group B fixture against defending champions North Korea, with qualification for the knockout stage at stake.

Busari will be hoping his players can build on the Puerto Rico victory while addressing their shortcomings in front of goal.

With the competition becoming increasingly demanding, the Flamingos will need greater composure, improved efficiency in the final third and a disciplined performance to overcome their next challenge and strengthen their hopes of progressing to the Round of 16.