Busari Backs Flamingos’ ‘Gladiators’ to Beat Venezuela, Reach U-17 World Cup Semis

Akeem Busari has described his Nigeria players as ‘gladiators’ and urged them to maintain their fighting spirit when they face Venezuela in Sunday’s quarter-final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Flamingos booked their place in the last eight with a 2-0 victory over Mexico in Thursday’s Round of 16 encounter and will now battle Venezuela for a place in the semi-finals.

Busari credited his players for their attitude and determination, insisting that they deserve the recognition for Nigeria’s progress in the competition.

‘I give kudos to the players because they are the gladiators. They made it happen. We can only give instructions and look at the analysis,’ the Nigeria coach told FIFA.

He also reflected on the team’s impressive 3-1 victory over two-time defending champions DPR Korea, which followed an opening defeat to Poland and a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico.

‘We needed to get a goal, to win the game, to show character, to be positive. Immediately when we get a goal, we didn’t show any complacency and we still wanted to play. The act of a gladiator is their never-say-die attitude,’ he said.

Although pleased with the victory over Mexico, Busari admitted that his side could have been more clinical, while acknowledging the threat posed by their opponents.

‘Really, every game is important, so we really want to put in the same mentality, the same approach, the same effort,’ he said.

‘We were not that excellent against Mexico. We should have gotten more goals and they had their own chances too, because they’re no pushovers – they’re a good side. But our contributions were right.’

Venezuela, who progressed as one of the best third-placed teams after losing two of their group matches, secured a major upset by eliminating Germany in the Round of 16.

That result has reinforced Busari’s belief that Nigeria must be prepared for another difficult examination.

‘For Venezuela to be at this stage, that means they are a good side too. Like I always say: it’s one game after another. We’re going to approach it the same way we approach other teams,’ he said.

The coach expects a physically demanding contest against the South Americans but believes Nigeria can use their technical strengths to overcome the challenge.

‘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,’ Busari explained.

He also urged his players to remain calm and focused rather than allow the occasion to overwhelm them.

‘We have done it before [winning big knockout matches], 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.’