Head Coach of Samba Tornadoes Football Club, Coach Kuforiji Olusola, has expressed concerns over the defensive performance of Nigeria’s Flamingos despite their 3-2 victory over the Benin Republic in the first leg of the final qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

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Speaking with Sports247 after the thrilling encounter at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, the experienced tactician described the result as a risky one, urging Coach Akeem Busari to address the team’s defensive weaknesses before the decisive second leg.

“It’s quite a big risk for the Flamingos with the first-leg result,” Kuforiji said. “Coach Akeem Busari needs to work more on the defensive line ahead of the second leg because conceding two goals at home could become costly.”

Nigeria had to come from behind to secure a narrow advantage after Benin’s Young Amazons took an early lead through Yenido Romaine Gandonou in the 14th minute.

The Flamingos responded positively, with Queen Joseph restoring parity in the 24th minute before Oluwakemi Adegbuyi put the hosts ahead in the 62nd minute.

However, Benin once again showed resilience as Nazifatou Dangui levelled matters ten minutes later, raising concerns over Nigeria’s defensive organisation.

Kindness Ifeanyi eventually scored the winning goal in the 75th minute to hand the Flamingos a slim 3-2 victory and a narrow advantage heading into the return fixture.

Despite praising the team’s fighting spirit and attacking quality, Kuforiji believes the two goals conceded have left the tie finely balanced.

“The Flamingos showed character to keep coming back and find the winning goal, but they must be more disciplined defensively. At this level, small mistakes can make a huge difference.”

Nigeria will now travel to Lomé, Togo, for the second leg scheduled for July 11 at the Stade de Kégué, Benin Republic’s adopted home ground.

The winner on aggregate will secure one of Africa’s coveted tickets to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, set to take place from October 17 to November 7.

With qualification now within touching distance, all eyes will be on Coach Busari and his young side to see whether they can tighten up defensively and finish the job away from home.