Flamingos coach Akeem Busari has hailed his players after Nigeria defeated Brazil 3-1 to reach their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final, Footynaija reports.
The Nigerian youngsters beat their Brazilian counterparts in Wednesday’s semi-final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Morocco, becoming the first African team to reach the final of the competition.
Busari, a former Shooting Stars coach, was pleased with the result and said the victory meant a lot to Nigerian football.
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“It’s an awesome thing and it’s a great achievement. Reaching the final is a plus for our country. It’s a plus for our football. We are happy, the class are happy. It was a key contest and it wasn’t an easy one,” he said, per Sports247.
The coach also praised his players for their performance, admitting that they had to be brave to overcome the South Americans.
“We had to show character. (We played) really, really, bravely. We appreciate the class because they are young. We could only encourage them and tell them what they need to do to make the final,” Busari added.
The Flamingos were on top for most of the contest, registering 35 shots against Brazil’s seven. Brazil managed only one shot on target, which resulted in Greise Kelly’s 89th-minute consolation goal.
After a goalless first half, Queen Joseph broke the deadlock in the 56th minute. Awawu Bashiru then scored twice, finding the net in the 71st and 80th minutes to put Nigeria 3-0 ahead.
Brazil pulled one back late in the game, but Nigeria held on to book their place in the final.
The victory also guarantees the Flamingos at least a silver medal, bettering their third-place finish at the 2022 tournament in India.
Busari’s team will face Japan in Saturday’s final. The Japanese defeated North Korea on penalties after a 1-1 draw to secure their place in the title decider.
