Meet Busari, the coach who led Flamingos to a historic World Cup win

Akeem Ishola Busari has made history for Nigerian football. He led the U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, to their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title. This victory came just seven months after he took over as coach.

Busari guided the Flamingos to a 2-1 win against Japan in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on November 7, 2026. With this win, Nigeria became the first African country to claim this title.

This achievement came exactly seven months and five days after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointed him on April 2, 2026.

The NFF announced his appointment on its official website. The Executive Committee approved a recommendation from the Technical and Development Committee for Busari to take over as head coach of the Flamingos.

He replaced Bankole Olowookere, who had been with the team for several years. Olowookere led Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India.

Before his new role, Busari was the head coach of Pacesetter Queens Football Club in Ibadan. The NFF pointed this out when they announced his appointment. His first task was to lead the Flamingos through the qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup in Morocco.

The NFF said the team was set to play against the winner of the preliminary qualifying match between Niger Republic and Guinea. The first leg was scheduled for the third week of May 2026.

A report by Blueprint on November 6, 2026, quoted the National Institute for Sports (NIS) Director-General, Philip Shaibu. He stated that Busari got his initial coaching qualification from the institute in Lagos in 1999.

Shaibu added that Busari returned to the institute for Higher Programmes from 2003 to 2006. He received his final coaching certificates in October 2006. This background shows that Busari has been preparing for this moment for over twenty years.

Building the Team

Just eight days after his appointment, Busari began selecting his squad for the qualifying campaign. On April 10, 2026, the NFF reported that he had invited 36 players to the national team camp.

The squad included five goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 13 midfielders, and eight forwards. Among the players called up were Fidel Pepple and Aminat Abiodun from Pacesetter Queens, his former club. Other players were picked from clubs in the Nigeria Women Football League and academies.

The NFF also announced on April 10 that the Executive Committee had approved Jegede-Idakwo and Omodiaghe as Busari's assistants. They joined the technical team to help secure Nigeria’s qualification for the tournament.

Qualification Achieved

Busari’s first major task was to guide Nigeria through the African qualifying series, and he succeeded. According to the NFF’s report on July 11, 2026, Nigeria qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Flamingos beat the Amazons of Benin Republic 5-3 in Lomé to secure their spot. Nigeria had won the first leg 3-2 in Ikenne, Ogun State, making it an 8-5 aggregate victory.

Mary Dustan scored first in the sixth minute. Esther Stephen and Queen Joseph also scored, with Joseph netting again in the 76th minute to finish the match 5-3. This win marked Busari’s first major success as head coach.

Preparing for the Tournament

With qualification achieved, Busari started preparing for the tournament. On August 28, 2026, the NFF announced that he had invited 26 players for the first phase of the final camping programme in Abuja.

Players were to report to Serob Legacy Hotel in Wuye, Abuja, on August 30. The NFF later published Busari’s final 21-player squad on October 6, 2026.

The selected players included captain Harmony Chidi, defenders Elizabeth Adesuyi and Esther Stephen, midfielders Mary Dustan and Favour Nkwocha, and forwards Tosin Rafiu, Queen Joseph, Precious Oscar, and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi. The team left Nigeria for Morocco on October 7, ahead of the tournament starting on October 17.

Facing Challenges, Achieving Greatness

The Flamingos did not start their campaign perfectly. They lost 2-1 to Poland on October 17 in their first group match. But they bounced back with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico.

They also beat defending champions North Korea 3-1 on October 23, which allowed them to move to the knockout stage. Nigeria then defeated Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16, edged out Venezuela 1-0 in the quarter-finals, and beat Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals to reach the final.

The win over Brazil made Nigeria the first African country to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The NFF praised Busari for his tactical changes and decisions, especially giving Awawu Bashiru a starting chance against Brazil. Bashiru scored two goals, helping Nigeria win.

Making History Against Japan

The highlight of Busari’s journey came on November 7, when Nigeria faced Japan in the final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat. According to FIFA’s match report, Nigeria took the lead in the 39th minute through Bashiru.

Her long shot slipped past Japanese goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki. Oluebube Umejiaku made it 2-0 in the 47th minute after getting a pass from Esther Stephen and lifting the ball over the goalkeeper.

Japan scored through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute, but the Flamingos held on for a historic 2-1 win. FIFA named Umejiaku Player of the Tournament. This was Nigeria’s first title in the competition and the first for any African nation.

In an interview with FIFA, Busari spoke about the growth of youth football in Africa after this win. He said, "This is a turnaround for Africa. In terms of youth-age football, it’s improving and here we could really compete. Being a champion is going to motivate us and send a message to the world that Africa is really coming."

The Confederation of African Football also celebrated this achievement, calling it a historic moment for the continent. For Busari, the victory was an incredible accomplishment in just seven months as head coach of the Flamingos. From his appointment on April 2 to the final on November 7, he spent about seven months and five days in charge, leading Nigeria to its first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.