Nigeria’s Flamingos will take on Togo on Sunday with the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup title within reach, as coach Akeem Busari targets a perfect ending to an impressive campaign in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Flamingos head into the final match at the INPHB Centre in Yamoussoukro with four wins from four matches, having defeated Niger Republic, Ghana, Burkina Faso and hosts Côte d’Ivoire. 

Nigeria have scored 13 goals and conceded just two in their four matches, leaving Busari’s side needing to avoid defeat against Togo to secure the regional title.

However, the Flamingos coach is not settling for a cautious approach, insisting that his players want to finish the tournament with another victory.

“As I said in the previous interview, all of us are champions until the last day. The Togo match is not an exception,” Busari told reporters. 

“We are not taking anything for granted. We want to play like we normally do, show the work we have done and we want to win.”

Busari’s comments underline Nigeria’s determination to maintain their momentum after a convincing 2-0 victory over tournament hosts Côte d’Ivoire in their previous outing.

The coach described the Ivorian challenge as physically, tactically and technically demanding, saying the match provided another important learning experience for his young players.

“Côte d’Ivoire is a very good side, physically, tactically and technically. They gave us good value for the game. It was a keenly contested affair between both teams,” he said. 

According to Busari, every match in the tournament has exposed the Flamingos to different challenges, allowing the technical crew to identify areas requiring improvement ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

“Our team is in progress. We are working, we are not there yet,” he said.

The coach also revealed that the technical team has been documenting tactical deficiencies and areas requiring correction, with the lessons expected to form part of Nigeria’s preparations for the World Cup.

“For every game, we jot down areas of deficiencies, tactical effects and corrections. All those things have been noted. After the tournament, we go back and start working on all those things,” Busari explained. 

With five consecutive competitive matches packed into two weeks, Busari believes the WAFU-B tournament has provided valuable preparation for Morocco, where the Flamingos will face teams from different footballing backgrounds.

“Coming here to play five straight good games within two weeks is something good for the girls. These are things we are going to face in the next couple of weeks in the World Cup,” he said.

For Nigeria, Sunday’s encounter with Togo represents more than an opportunity to lift the WAFU-B trophy. It is also the final competitive examination before the technical crew returns to continue preparations for the global stage. 

The Flamingos will therefore be seeking to complete the tournament unbeaten, claim the title and carry the confidence from Côte d’Ivoire into their final preparations for the U-17 Women’s World Cup.