Man On The Cusp Of History: Busari Hakeem Ishola, Flamingos Coach 

From Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist

This evening in the cold weather of the Kingdom of Morocco, the head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, Busari Hakeem Ishola has a date with history when Nigeria meets Brazil in the second semi-final match of the on-going FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup at Pitch 3 of Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salè, Rabat by 7 pm Nigerian time, Prompt News reports.

This is even as he will carry the huge weight of the high expectations of millions of Nigerian football fans at home and diaspora on his  head as he will be seen pacing up and down the technical area of  the match venue dishing out instructions to his girls  to ensure that they win the crucial match against tough opponents like Brazil.

Should Nigeria beat Brazil today, Busari’s 2026 Set of players will become the first group of Flamingos to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as the highest height Nigeria has reached was the 2022 Third-place Bronze medal-winning squad tutored by former Flamingos head coach Bankole Olowookere.

Back then, Nigeria’s Flamingos lost a semi-final match to  but bounced back to  beat Germany 3-2 in the Third-place match at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on October 30, 2022 at D.Y. Patil Sports Stadium, Mumbai, India.

Regulation time finished 3–3 as Nigerian goalscorers were Opeyemi Ajakaye, Aminat Bello, and Etim Edidiong but Nigeria  won 3-2 on penalty shootout to finish on the podium yo receive the Bronze medals.

Since qualifying for the inaugural 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup under late coach Felix Ibeh aka Coach Gabosky who led the Flamingos through the African qualifying campaign, beating Guinea and advancing past the round-robin stage with Cameroon and Ghana to qualify for New Zealand 2008 and finishing in the group stage, Nigeria has attended the global tournament.

However, Nigeria’s Flamingos have only failed to qualify for the U-17 Women’s World Cup once in their history; that was for the 2018 tournament in Uruguay, when the team was coached by Bala Nikyu after losing in the final round of the African qualifiers to Cameroon after drawing 2–2 in Benin City and 1–1 against Cameroon in Yaoundé, losing on the away goals rule.

Aside the 2018 glitch, Nigeria has qualified for a record nine tournaments out of 10 and reaching quarter-finals five times; Round of 16 once and Group Stage exit twice as the country has never played in the finals.

But all these are about to change in 90 minutes today in Rabat, Morocco when Busari who was appointed as Flamingos new head coach early 2026 by the immediate past Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Board led by Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau and General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi gets Nigeria over the line.

He replaced the Bronze medal-winning coach  Bankole Olowookere and now about to write a new chapter of his coaching career.

All eyes on Busari Hakeem Ishola and his 2026 Set of Flamingos.

Let’s Go Girls

Nigeria’s Tournament History & Placings:

Year Stage / Placing

2008 Group Stage

2010 Quarter-finals

2012 Quarter-finals

2014 Quarter-finals

2016 Group Stage

2018 Did not qualify

2022 Third Place (Bronze)

2024 Quarter-finals

2025 Round of 16

2026 Reached the Semi-finals (ongoing).