As Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, prepare for the next stage of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, newly appointed head coach, Akeem Busari, has described leading the team as “a great honour.”
Busari, appointed to guide the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup bronze-medallists, reflected on the responsibility and excitement of steering the young team towards global competition.
“Our nation is giving us this responsibility, and it is a privilege for me and the entire coaching staff. We are ready to give this our best shot,” Busari said.
“We are focused on preparing the girls, arranging practice matches, and getting the team into peak match condition for the second-round fixture.”
The Flamingos are set to face the winner of the preliminary qualifier between Niger Republic and Guinea.
In the first-leg match played in Niamey, Guinea defeated Niger Republic 5-2, establishing a strong advantage ahead of the return leg in Conakry this weekend.
Busari has called up 36 players to the training camp, including five goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 13 midfielders, and eight forwards, as preparations intensify ahead of the crucial fixtures.
The first leg of the second-round qualifier will take place between May 22 and 24, with Nigeria hosting the return leg on Saturday, May 30.
In another development, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) celebrated another milestone as its Head of Coaching Education, Terry Eguaoje, earned the prestigious US Soccer Federation Coach Educator badge, enabling him to teach the B-License course.
This accomplishment aligns with Eguaoje’s ongoing mission to elevate coaching standards in Nigeria.
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Since joining the NFF, he has facilitated numerous CAF coaching courses, including Nigeria’s first all-women CAF C and B courses.
Nigeria is also poised for readmission to the CAF Convention A, which will allow Nigeria to host an A-License course in the coming months.
Expressing gratitude for the support received, Eguaoje remarked: “This is a new challenge to do more. Every opportunity has its own demand.”
Eguaoje holds multiple coaching certifications, including UEFA A and B, US Soccer A, Goalkeeping, Futsal, and Director of Coaching Diplomas, reflecting his dedication to improving coaching development across the country.
