Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has warned his girls to brace for a brutal battle as Nigeria faces surprise package Venezuela in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup quarter-final.
The 2022 bronze medal winners are flying high, but Busari insists there will be no complacency against a Venezuelan side that has already shocked the world.
Venezuela’s Miracle Run Scares No One
Venezuela may have lost two group games and scraped through as one of the best third-placed teams, but they stunned powerhouse Germany in the last round to book their quarter-final ticket.
That upset has put Busari on red alert.
“For Venezuela to be at this stage, that means they are a good side too,” Busari warned. “Like I always say: it’s one game after another. We’re going to approach it the same way we approach other teams.”
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Battle Plan: Fight For Every Ball
The Flamingos gaffer says his message is clear – total commitment, high intensity and no fear.
“We will tell the players we have to go all out to play. We have to put our mentality right, we have to really fight for all balls. We will take the game to them and we will have to just pray for some luck so that we can get through this moment,” he said.
Busari admitted the physical challenge will be huge against the tough South Americans.
“Something you must know about the character of South American teams is they are thorough and they are tough in duels. They are very, very tough in terms of marking and physicality, and we don’t have the bigger size like they do, so we’ll play more with the ball on the ground.”
Calm Heads, Big Hearts
The coach who led Nigeria to bronze in India 2022 says he will keep his young gladiators calm but hungry.
“We have done it before, so it’s just on us to remind them. Because they are kids, we don’t want to put them under intense anxiety. We’ll just need to take the game calmly and concentrate. When we are not with the ball, let’s fight for the ball. If you’re with the ball, let’s play, keep the possession high and take our chances,” Busari declared.
