Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has warned his players against underestimating any opponent at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, insisting that Nigeria must approach every match with the same determination and respect.
Busari stressed that every country competing at the tournament has earned its place through a demanding qualification process, making it dangerous to judge opponents by their reputation or previous achievements.
“For any country that comes into a World Cup, it shows they are prepared for them to get their qualification,” Busari said.
“So all of us are champions now. Until after the game is being played, we might be able to separate who is going out at a particular stage and who is going forward.”
The Flamingos coach maintained that Nigeria must recognise the quality of every participating team, particularly as the competition represents a significant step up from previous assignments.
“For every team, we respect them, and I believe they respect us because of the character of Nigeria and the quality of football,” he stated.
Busari explained that the coaching crew has emphasised the importance of maintaining a consistent mentality throughout the tournament rather than approaching certain fixtures with greater seriousness than others.
“We are not looking down on any team, neither do I believe they are looking down on us,” he said.
“We want to approach every game with the same mentality, the same perspective, the same strength.”
The coach also revealed that the players have been challenged to improve on their previous performances as they prepare to compete against the world’s leading youth teams.
“Going into the tournament, we have told the girls that the way we have been doing it before, we have to improve it now. It’s World Cup now,” Busari declared.
Nigeria will be hoping to translate their preparations into positive results when the tournament begins in Morocco.
For Busari, qualification alone guarantees no advantage, and the Flamingos must combine respect for their opponents with improved performances to compete successfully on the world stage.
