Flamingos head coach Hakeem Busari has expressed confidence in Nigeria’s ability to overcome Mexico when both countries meet in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Thursday, October 29, Sports247.ng reports.
The encounter, scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Nigerian time at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, will determine which side advances to the quarter-finals of the competition.
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Nigeria head into the fixture with renewed confidence after defeating defending champions Korea DPR 3-1 in their final Group B match, completing an impressive recovery from an opening 2-1 defeat to Poland.
The Flamingos also defeated Puerto Rico 2-0 to finish second in their group with six points, scoring six goals across three matches.
Mexico, meanwhile, finished second in Group F after recovering from a 2-0 defeat to Spain with victories over Chile and Australia. The North American side also claimed bronze at the 2025 edition of the tournament, underlining the challenge awaiting Busari’s players.
Speaking ahead of the knockout encounter, Busari acknowledged Mexico’s quality but insisted that his technical crew had developed a strategy to give Nigeria the best possible chance of progressing.
“Every team has their strong points and equally, they have their deficiencies. They are equally top of their group and they are equally a very good side,” Busari said.
“I believe they respect us equally. We have respect for them because every team at this particular stage is a contending team for the trophy.”
The Nigerian coach, however, declined to reveal his tactical plans ahead of the contest.
“We have our arsenal, but we don’t want to disclose it right now,” he stated.
Busari emphasised that mental strength, tactical discipline and readiness would be important against a Mexican team known for its technical qualities and attacking movement.
“The only thing we just talk to the players about is high mentality, sense of readiness and a good approach,” he added.
He also expects an interesting tactical contest, with both teams capable of adopting similar playing patterns while approaching the match differently.
“It’s going to be a game of maybe the same style, but the approach might be quite different,” Busari explained.
With the Flamingos seeking to build on their victory over Korea DPR, the coach identified clinical finishing as a major requirement for success.
“Taking our chances is one of the major things that we need to focus on,” he concluded.
Nigeria previously defeated Mexico 3-0 in the group stage of the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, but Thursday’s encounter carries greater immediate significance, with a place among the final eight teams on the line.
For Busari and his players, the objective is to translate their growing confidence into another convincing performance and keep Nigeria’s hopes of a first U-17 Women’s World Cup title alive.
