Nigeria Flamingos Arrive in Côte d’Ivoire as Coach Busari Names Squad for WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup

Nigeria’s Flamingos have arrived in Abidjan ahead of the second edition of the WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup, with head coach Hakeem Busari naming a 20-player squad for the tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Flamingos travelled from Abuja on Monday morning and will continue their journey to Yamoussoukro, where the competition will take place from 15 to 28 September 2026.

The tournament represents an important competitive test for Nigeria as the Flamingos prepare for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco later this year.

Flamingos to Face Niger in Opening Match

Nigeria’s opening fixture has changed following the withdrawal of Benin Republic from the tournament.

Instead of facing Ghana in their first match, the Flamingos will now take on Niger Republic on Wednesday.

The change means the highly anticipated meeting between Nigeria and Ghana will come later in the competition, with the two sides now scheduled to meet on Saturday.

Ghana are also among the four African teams preparing for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, alongside Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia, making the WAFU-B tournament particularly valuable as part of their preparations.

The other fixtures in the opening phase will see hosts Côte d’Ivoire face Togo on Tuesday, while Ghana take on Burkina Faso.

On Friday, Togo will play Niger, while Burkina Faso will face Côte d’Ivoire.

Busari Names 20-Player Flamingos Squad

Coach Hakeem Busari has selected 20 players for Nigeria’s WAFU-B campaign, combining players from established domestic clubs with talents from academies.

Goalkeepers: Onyinyechi Opara (Delta Queens), Ifesinachi Iloh (Solo Wonders Academy), Mercy Felix (Obosa Academy)

Defenders: Opeyemi Sunday (Nasarawa Amazons), Azeezat Oduntan (FC Robo Queens), Esther Stephen (Unification Ladies), Elizabeth Adesuyi (Pacesetter Queens), Chidera Oparanmegwa (Bayelsa Queens), Temitope Ogunbunmi (Soccer Talent FC), Chisom Chukwuemeka (Diamond Stars Academy)

Midfielders: Muinat Rotimi (Nakamura Academy), Mary Dunstan (Bayelsa Queens), Adeola Bashiru (Confluence Queens), Kaosarat Akanji (Dream Star Ladies), Ebunoluwa Akinola (Unstoppable Academy)

Forwards: Harmony Chidi (Bayelsa Queens), Oluebube Umejiaku (Heartland Queens), Sakirat Sarafa (Remo Stars Ladies), Oluwakemi Adegbuyi (FC Robo Queens), Destiny Itobore (Delta Queens)

WAFU-B Tournament Offers World Cup Preparation

For Nigeria, the competition is more than a regional title race.

The Flamingos are preparing for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, scheduled for 17 October to 8 November.

Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland, while Ghana will face Canada, Brazil and Norway in Group C.

With the World Cup approaching, the WAFU-B tournament gives Busari an opportunity to assess his players in competitive matches, build cohesion and fine-tune the squad before the global tournament.

The Flamingos will therefore be looking to combine a strong regional campaign with valuable preparation for their World Cup challenge.

Young Referees Also Get Opportunity

The tournament will also provide an important platform for young referees in the WAFU-B zone.

The West African Football Union Zone B has selected 14 referees from the regional Young Talents refereeing course held in Ghana in March.

Two referees from each of the seven WAFU-B member associations were selected to officiate at the tournament.

The initiative is designed to give young match officials valuable competitive experience while encouraging and motivating the next generation of referees in the region.

For the Flamingos, however, attention now turns to the pitch as Nigeria begins its WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup campaign against Niger on Wednesday.