Meet Busari, coach behind Flamingos’ historic World Cup triumph

Akeem Ishola Busari, the coach of Nigeria's U-17 women's national team, the Flamingos, has achieved a historic feat in Nigerian football by leading the team to their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title. The victory came just seven months after Busari's appointment as the team's head coach on April 2, 2026, and marks Nigeria as the first African country to win the competition.

Busari, who previously coached Pacesetter Queens Football Club of Ibadan, was appointed as the Flamingos' head coach by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after replacing Bankole Olowookere, who had led Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in India. Busari had previously obtained his coaching qualifications from the National Institute for Sports (NIS) in Lagos in 1999 and returned for higher programmes between 2003 and 2006.

Within days of his appointment, Busari began assembling his squad for the qualifying campaign. He invited 36 players, including five goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 13 midfielders, and eight forwards, to the national team's camp in Morocco. Among the invited players were Fidel Pepple and Aminat Abiodun from Pacesetter Queens, his former club, and players from various clubs across the Nigeria Women Football League and academies.

Busari's first major achievement as head coach came when Nigeria qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup finals after defeating the Amazons of Benin Republic 5-3 in Lomé, Benin. He secured Nigeria's ticket to Morocco by guiding the team to an 8-5 aggregate victory in the second leg.