Flamingos eye semi-finals as Busari warns Venezuela

Nigeria's U-17 women's team coach Akeem Busari has commended his players for their spirit and tactical skills. The Flamingos beat Mexico 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Nigerian team delivered another strong performance, eliminating Mexico in the Round of 16. This came after their impressive 3-1 win over defending champions DPR Korea in their last group match.

With a spot in the last eight on the line, the Flamingos showed focus and determination against a tough Mexican team. Goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho played a key role in keeping Nigeria ahead.

After the match, Busari spoke about the intensity and tactical challenges of knockout games, especially for young players. He said Nigeria proved they can compete with the top teams in the tournament.

"When you come into this kind of competition, and you get to the knockout stages, it’s more tactical," Busari said.

"There’s a lot of intensity involved because they’re young and anxiety comes because it’s the knockout stage. Today was a tough game, but we’re no pushovers."

A major highlight from Nigeria’s win was goalkeeper Ijirigho's performance. She made several crucial saves that frustrated the Mexican attack and helped the Flamingos advance.

At 1.92m, Ijirigho is the tallest player in the tournament. She used her height to stop Mexico captain Citlalli Reyes from scoring just six minutes into the game.

Reyes, who had already scored twice in the group stage, found a chance to shoot from close range. But Ijirigho reacted fast to deny her.

The Nigerian keeper was busy throughout the match, making another fantastic save to tip Kemberly Garcia’s long shot onto the crossbar.

Her efforts were vital as Nigeria held onto their lead, earning more praise from Busari. The coach has been impressed with Ijirigho’s reliability and mindset.

"She’s awesome," the coach said. "She has been fantastic in every tournament. She has a great mentality and she really wants to do her bit and she’s enjoying doing her best for Nigeria."

Defender Azeezat Oduntan also praised her teammate. She celebrated Ijirigho’s performance after the match.

"She was fantastic," Oduntan said, blowing a kiss towards Ijirigho. "I love her!"

Ijirigho was happy to contribute to Nigeria’s success but emphasized the team's collective effort.

"I was very happy to make the save," she told FIFA. "The team did very well, honestly I’m very proud of them. We came out with a great team spirit and we know we have the quality."

While Ijirigho secured the defense, the Flamingos’ attackers made sure their pressure led to goals.

Nigeria scored first in the 40th minute. Esther Stephen’s long ball created confusion in the Mexican defense. Oluebube Umejiaku took advantage and finished well to give Nigeria the lead.

Mary Dunstan then doubled Nigeria’s lead, putting the Flamingos in a strong position. Emily Delgado pulled one back for Mexico late in the game.

Despite the late pressure, Nigeria held firm to claim a well-deserved victory. Woman of the match Umejiaku was thrilled with the team’s performance and highlighted their unity.

"I’m so happy," the forward said. "I’m very proud of my team; we’re very good. I love my team-mates so much and I love my coach as well. We have a very encouraging spirit and our togetherness is very important."

This victory shows the Flamingos’ growing confidence after their strong win against DPR Korea. Busari’s players have shown they can handle the pressures of knockout football against a determined Mexican side.

Next, Nigeria is set to face Venezuela, who stand in the way of the Flamingos returning to the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. They last reached this stage in 2022 in India.

Venezuela earned their spot in the quarter-finals by beating Germany, setting up a tough challenge for Nigeria.

Busari has made it clear that his team will respect their opponents but will not feel inferior. He believes every team left in the tournament has a chance to win.

"What I normally say is that every team in the competition is a contender; everyone could be a champion. Venezuela won their game (against Germany), so they are a good side," he said.

"But Nigeria are too, so on the day it’ll be decided over 90 minutes, and we’ll all give our best."

After beating the defending champions and now Mexico, the Flamingos have shown they are serious contenders in Morocco. For Busari, the challenge is to keep up that level of performance against Venezuela as Nigeria aims for another semi-final appearance and a memorable end to their World Cup journey.