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Nigeria Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has revealed that a crucial tactical change inspired his team’s thrilling victory over Benin Republic and secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Flemings beat their West African neighbors 5-3 in the second leg in Lomé to complete an impressive 8-5 aggregate victory and book another World Cup appearance.
Also read: Nigerian Flamencos defeat Benin in Kegue to qualify for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2026
Reflecting on the match, Busari said his coaching team deliberately abandoned the team’s usual 4-3-3 formation after studying Benin’s approach in the first leg.
“We changed our tactic from 4-3-3 because it’s all about tactics,” Busari said after the match.
“They expected us to play one way, but we introduced something different. It’s about the team philosophy, the understanding and the attitude of the players.”
The coach acknowledged the quality of the Benin team, noting that they had improved significantly and posed a serious challenge throughout the two-legged qualification match.
“From the first leg we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. They showed character and proved to be a difficult team. They have quality players and a good future ahead of them,” he said.
Busari explained that Nigeria’s intense pressure and refusal to abandon its identity ultimately gave the Flamingos the advantage.
“We decided to play our own style. We didn’t allow teams to fixate on the ball. We pressed aggressively, won the ball high up the pitch and forced them to make mistakes. That style made it very difficult for them to deal with.”
In the entertaining encounter, Mary Akpan Dunstan opened the scoring before Esther Enne Stephen doubled Nigeria’s lead.
Queen Joseph produced a sensational performance with a hat-trick, while Romaine Gandonou scored two goals and Hermionne Lokossou also scored for Benin Republic.
With the victory, the Flemings have successfully qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, where they will look to build on Nigeria’s proud history in the competition and challenge for world honors once again.
