Flamingos bounce back with big win over North Korea

Nigeria’s Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has praised his players for their resilience after they bounced back from a tough loss to Poland. They shocked the defending champions North Korea with a 3-1 win in their final Group B match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

This victory showed how determined the Nigerian side was after suffering a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Poland. They had earlier secured a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico and then put up a strong performance against North Korea.

Busari, who started coaching the team in April, shared his thoughts on how far the team has come under his guidance. He talked about the disappointment of losing to Poland and the importance of keeping faith as they aim for success in the tournament.

He explained that the loss to Poland was unexpected for a team that had been doing well in their preparation.

"Like I said to somebody while we were talking, the Poland game was the first game we had lost since I took over the team in April this year. We have played a series of about 20-something friendlies," Busari said.

"During the qualification, we played four games and won all of them, while at WAFU-B, we won all five games. Poland was a shocker to us, but we just had to let it go. We had to restrategise and look at ourselves."

"We had to ask ourselves if that was really what we saw within ourselves. We needed to come back, and this victory was one of the fights for that comeback."

Busari also talked about the role of officiating in football. He said mistakes can happen but emphasized that players must respect the decisions made by referees and focus on their game.

He pointed out that resilience, self-belief, and discipline are key for any team hoping to win big titles.

"Human errors happen. Referees are human beings, and they can make mistakes, just as we can as humans," he said.

"But nevertheless, it is a game in which they are in charge. We just have to respect whatever decisions come. We cannot be a team or even champions without perseverance and self-belief. These are part of the discipline required of a good team with a good culture."

He noted that fatigue and lapses in concentration affected his players during the match. He explained that the technical crew tried to manage the game with substitutions.

"For our girls, it was a loss of concentration at that moment. You could see that we tried to slow things down with substitutions and do everything possible to manage what we had," he said.

"But they kept introducing players, and endurance was really beginning to tell on our girls. Nevertheless, the players kept fighting."

The win over North Korea gives the Flamingos a boost in confidence as they continue their journey in the tournament. Busari’s message is clear: Nigeria must stay disciplined, learn from setbacks, and believe in their ability to compete with top teams.

Midfielder Rodiat Yusuf was thrilled after Nigeria’s solid victory. She said it was down to teamwork, determination, and the players sticking to their coach’s plan.

Yusuf, who was named Player of the Match, said they approached the game ready to secure the win. She was happy that their hard work paid off.

"I feel so excited because we were determined to get the result we wanted, and we achieved it through hard work, consistency, and working as a team," Yusuf said.

"With the help of the coach’s instructions, we were able to get the result. It is a good moment for me, scoring my first goal this March."

Yusuf described the experience as special and urged her teammates to keep their focus and give their best in every match.

"It is a good thing for me. It is a remarkable memory for me, and I am so excited. We got the win we wanted," she said.

"We should just keep our heads up. This game has been played and it is gone. We just have to keep doing our best every time, in every match. We should give our 100 percent and always get our maximum result."

Yusuf’s words show the Flamingos’ determination to focus on their goal of progressing in the tournament.

Kemi Adegbuyi, who scored Nigeria’s first goal against North Korea, expressed her gratitude for the memorable victory.

The forward thanked God for the win and said the team entered the match with a clear goal: to win and take all three points.

"I feel very, very happy, and I am very, very grateful to God because it is not by our power. It is God, yes," Adegbuyi said.

She explained how she scored, saying her quick reaction helped her beat the defenders to the ball.

"I think I was faster to the ball, and that made me score the goal. I was faster to the ball; I was quicker," she explained.

"Our plan was to win, so our plan was to get the three points. We came out fully to play so we could get the three points."

Adegbuyi is confident in Nigeria’s ability to challenge for the trophy, saying the Flamingos will keep pushing towards their goal.

"I believe we can win this tournament by His grace," she added.

With Busari calling for perseverance, Yusuf stressing the need for consistency, and Adegbuyi showing faith in the team’s ambitions, the Flamingos hope their win over North Korea marks a turning point in their journey.

After bouncing back from the disappointment against Poland, Nigeria has shown they can respond under pressure. The next challenge is to build on this performance and keep the momentum going in the U-17 Women’s World Cup.