Despite securing the win, Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has acknowledged concerns about Nigeria’s defensive organisation after the team conceded twice in their 3-2 first-leg victory against the Benin Republic in Ikenne.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Busari reflected on his team’s performance, the defensive mistakes that gifted Benin two goals, his decision to keep defender Ene Esther Stephen on the pitch despite her errors, and the adjustments the Flamingos will make before the return fixture.
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Busari: Defensive errors were human mistakes
“Thank you very much. Before a game of this magnitude, we reviewed the opposition and prepared for different situations,” he said. “We gave the players instructions on how to respond if they attacked with one or two players. But football is a game of human errors, and sometimes mistakes happen.
“The first goal came because the cover arrived a little late. These things happen in football. Rather than panic, we reminded ourselves that we had to reorganise, correct the structure and remain in the game. We stayed focused until the final whistle.”
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Why Ene Esther Stephen stayed on the pitch
One of the biggest talking points was defender Ene Esther Stephen, whose mistake led to one of Benin’s goals. Busari revealed he deliberately resisted the temptation to replace the defender, insisting that young players must be allowed to recover from mistakes rather than be immediately punished.
“Every player reacts differently after making a mistake,” he explained. “For her, the error affected her mentally. Some players recover immediately after encouragement, while others need more time. If you keep taking players off for one mistake, when are you going to build a settled team? It’s all about coaching, communication and believing in your players. Football is a game of mistakes, but the important thing is to minimise them. Even towards the end of the match, she was still thinking about that mistake with the score at 2-2. It’s a human reaction, especially with young players. Thankfully, we were able to help her recover.”
Finishing remains a major concern
Busari admitted that Nigeria’s wastefulness in front of goal frustrated him more than the defensive lapses. He believes the Flamingos should have comfortably won the match had they converted their numerous chances.
“We wasted a lot of scoring opportunities, and that’s not our style,” he said. “We are usually a team that converts our chances. We’ll go back, review everything and determine whether it was our body posture, our execution or anxiety. I believe conceding the early goal affected the players psychologically. Had we scored first, the match would probably have been far more comfortable. We also rushed our play because of youthful exuberance. Instead of completing 10 or 15 passes in the first leg, complete five or six. But we’ll work on these issues before the second leg.”
How to stop Benin’s danger woman
Busari also singled out Benin’s standout performer, Romega Ndunu, whose pace and experience repeatedly troubled the Nigerian defence. Asked if containing the forward would become a major tactical focus ahead of the return leg, Busari admitted her quality was evident.
“For a player of her calibre, it’s almost like bringing a Falcon to play at U-17 level,” he said. “She has already played for their senior national team, so the difference in quality is there. But no single player can win the game alone. Our responsibility now is to study her properly. Is her strength on the right? On the left? What does she do without the ball? How patient is she? These are the details we’ll analyse before the second leg, and sometimes football doesn’t go according to plan, but we’ll prepare properly.”
Qualification remains the priority
Busari praised winger Queen for her energetic display, including scoring Nigeria’s opening goal, but insisted individual performances matter less than securing qualification.
“What we’re looking for now is qualification,” he said. “And qualification only comes through hard work, determination and dedication. We’ll continue encouraging the players because, honestly, if we had converted even half of our chances, the game could easily have finished 7-2. Those are chances we normally score. Football is unpredictable, and some days things don’t come off. Our responsibility now is to identify what to take and improve before the second leg.”
Preparations and mentality
Asked whether stronger pre-tournament opposition would have better prepared the Flamingos, Busari defended his team’s build-up. “Our preparation was done in stages,” he explained. “We played teams like Dream Star and Unification because they were available and close enough to work with. After every game, we submit reports to our superiors, review our performances and plan the next stage. Right now, our focus is on qualification. Once we get through this round, the next phase of preparation will follow.”
The coach also addressed concerns over his players’ mentality after falling behind early. “I think we dealt with part of that during the game,” he said. “When they scored, I immediately told our players not to panic or rush to pick the ball. We had to respond confidently because this was the task we were assigned. The players showed great character to fight back.” He added that the coaching staff would carefully manage the team’s emotions after the match. “We’ll discuss everything with them, but we won’t overload them because of their age. Football comes with moments like this, and it’s our responsibility to guide them back in the right way.”
Why Busari wanted a fourth goal
Busari also explained why he immediately urged Kindness to stop celebrating after scoring Nigeria’s third goal and restart play quickly. The coach revealed he desperately wanted a fourth goal to give the Flamingos a more comfortable cushion ahead of the return leg.
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“In football, goals are power,” he said. “Getting a fourth goal would have put us in a much stronger position before travelling for the second leg. At 3-2, we were still uncomfortable. If we had gone two or three goals ahead, we could have managed the second leg differently, kept possession, closed spaces, and controlled the game because we know we’re a better passing side. But with only a one-goal advantage, you’ll always be playing under pressure. We’ll go back, analyse everything, and I believe we’ll find the right solutions.”
Harmony Chidi: We’ll work on our finishing
Flamingos captain Harmony Chidi also admitted the team fell below its usual standards in front of goal after missing several clear-cut opportunities. Asked about her uncharacteristically wasteful afternoon, Chidi remained optimistic: “First of all, I have to thank God for everything. I believe it’s a game, and we’ll work on that.”
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