Nigeria’s U-17 girls, the Flamingos, are refusing to take anything for granted despite holding a commanding advantage ahead of Sunday’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier against Guinea.

The Flamingos host their Guinean counterparts at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo for the second leg of the qualifying fixture, carrying a comfortable 5-0 lead from the first leg played in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The Nigerian side delivered an assured and dominant performance in the opening encounter, combining attacking flair with tactical discipline to place themselves firmly on course for the final qualifying round.

However, Head Coach Akeem Busari, in a press statement issued by the NFF, says his team remains focused on completing the assignment professionally, warning against complacency despite the sizeable first-leg advantage.

“Complacency will naturally set in as humans when you are ahead in terms of goals and performance,” Busari said ahead of the game.

“I see Guinea as a team that can still want to fight back. On our side, we still need to give more because we are playing at home. Our fans want to see the beauty of the game, we want to showcase what we have, we want to win excellently.”

The coach revealed that much of the team’s preparation since returning from Côte d’Ivoire has centred on maintaining the right mentality and intensity in training.

According to him, success in football, like academic excellence, requires constant repetition, discipline and continuous improvement regardless of previous results.

The Flamingos have continued to build a reputation as one of Africa’s most promising youth sides in women’s football in recent years.

At the last FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India in 2022, Nigeria secured a historic third-place finish — the country’s best-ever outing at the tournament — after defeating Germany on penalties in the bronze medal match.

That achievement elevated expectations around the current generation of players, with the team now aiming to secure another appearance at the global competition scheduled to take place in Morocco.

Sunday’s encounter also offers Busari another opportunity to further stamp his authority on the side as the team continues its rebuilding process.

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With qualification appearing within reach, the Flamingos are expected to approach the game with confidence while seeking another convincing performance before their home supporters in Ikenne-Remo.

Victory or an aggregate success over Guinea would send Nigeria into the final round of the qualification campaign as the Flamingos continue their quest for another appearance on the world stage.

Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini

Flamingos coach warn against complacency before Guinea match

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