Flamingos Need to Stay Calm Against Korea DPR, Busari

Nigeria’s Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has emphasized the need for his team to stay calm and improve their finishing skills before their important group-stage match against Korea DPR at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Flamingos bounced back with a tough 2-0 win over Puerto Rico, who are playing in the tournament for the first time. This victory came after they lost their first match against Poland. Busari acknowledged that breaking down the Puerto Rican team was a real challenge for his players.

“It was a very tough game, really, for both sides,” Busari said after the match. “We were unable to convert our chances often in the first half - a couple of misses - but quite unfortunately maybe we got the second one towards the tail end of the game, but it was a very tough game. It was there and no pushover. So, it’s getting more competitive and more contested.”

The win was a big boost for the team’s confidence. Busari pointed out that helping the players manage their mental strength is important to overcome the disappointment from their first game.

“Really, as a handler, you know, when you are down, you look at it: how do you come back,” Busari explained. “And this is our sideking [psyching], and telling them the last, they were young, we don’t need to bully them, we don’t need to, you know, size them, you know, ever-counselling and telling them what they need to do.”

Busari also mentioned the positive changes he saw during the game. He noted that the players showed more composure compared to their match against Poland.

“Today they experienced an exceptional; they are calmer today than in the Poland game.”