Nigeria U-17 women’s head coach Akeem Busari has challenged his players to improve their finishing ahead of Wednesday’s crucial FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup semi-final against Brazil.
The Flamingos booked their place in the last four with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Venezuela, but Busari believes greater composure in front of goal will be essential against the South Americans.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s quarter-final performance, the coach praised his players for their tactical awareness and ability to adapt after struggling to break down Venezuela in the first half.
Busari explained that tactical adjustments, particularly the introduction of decoy movements and improved use of the flanks, helped Nigeria create spaces in their opponents’ defensive structure.
“I really liked the way we understood how the game was going and recognised that time was running out after we failed to score in the first half,” he said.
“We tried to change our tactics in the second half by using the flanks and introducing decoy movements. That opened up their defence and created opportunities for us.”
The coach also acknowledged that Venezuela’s goalkeeper made life difficult for the Flamingos with her proactive positioning and ability to intercept attacking deliveries.
However, with Brazil awaiting them in the semi-finals, Busari identified clinical finishing as a major area requiring attention.
He stressed that scoring goals involves more than simply taking shots, highlighting the importance of composure, ball reception, body positioning and decision-making in the final third.
“It’s all about composure. One of the basic things that makes scoring easier is good ball reception, identifying your position, checking your surroundings and knowing the technique to use before taking your shot,” Busari explained.
He admitted that the players’ eagerness to execute quickly sometimes leads to mistakes, but maintained that continuous training, corrections and confidence-building would help them improve.
“Because of their age, they sometimes want to do things quickly and get everything right immediately. But it is about learning, making corrections, believing in yourself and having the confidence that you can get it right,” he added.
The Flamingos face Brazil on Wednesday, November 4, at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30 pm Nigerian time.
Victory would take Nigeria into their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final, as Busari’s side seek to turn their impressive campaign into a historic achievement.
