By Dorcas Francis Koji
Nigeria’s Flamingos will use the second WAFU B U-17 Girls Tournament in Ivory Coast as a crucial preparation platform for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, with head coach Hakeem Busari targeting regional glory before the team turns its attention to Morocco.
The Flamingos arrived in Ivory Coast on Monday ahead of the tournament and will now begin their campaign against Niger Republic on Wednesday following the withdrawal of Benin Republic’s U-17 team.
The change to the schedule means Nigeria’s opening encounter against Ghana’s Princesses has been postponed, with the highly anticipated West African clash now set for Saturday.
Busari believes the tournament offers his players an important opportunity to sharpen their preparations and build momentum ahead of the global competition.
“This is the kind of tournament we want to win and build on it for the task ahead, which is the World Cup,” Busari said ahead of the Flamingos’ opening match against Niger Republic.
Busari has selected 20 players for the competition, which serves as an important preparatory tournament for Nigeria and Ghana, two of Africa’s four representatives at this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Kenya and Zambia are the continent’s other representatives at the global tournament.
The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Morocco from October 17 to November 8.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside defending champions North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland, setting up a challenging group-stage campaign for the Flamingos.
Ghana, meanwhile, will compete in Group C against Canada, Brazil and Norway.
With the World Cup approaching, Nigeria will hope to use the WAFU B tournament to test its squad, improve tactical cohesion and build confidence before heading to Morocco for the global challenge.
For Busari and his players, however, the immediate objective is clear: compete for the WAFU B title while using the tournament to fine-tune the team for the bigger assignment ahead.
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