Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have been tipped to defeat Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final and go on to win the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The prediction came from Lagos-based grassroots coach and youth football expert Goldenmouth Chilaka, who believes the team has demonstrated the quality and determination needed to lift the trophy.
Chilaka, who is the coach and technical director of Anchorage Field Schools (AFS) in FESTAC Town, praised the players and head coach Akeem Busari following their 1-0 victory over Venezuela in Sunday’s quarter-final.
He said Busari deserved recognition for guiding the team to the semi-finals, regardless of the outcome of their next match.
“As a coach, I am proud of him. It’s not easy for an indigenous or grassroots coach like us. Because, in this part of the world, grassroots coaches are underrated, not appreciated and we are always belittled,” Chilaka said.
He also criticised what he described as the lack of recognition for grassroots coaches and their contribution to developing football talent in Nigeria.
Chilaka urged Nigerians to celebrate Busari’s achievement rather than judge his work solely on the result against Brazil.
He said the Flamingos had shown resilience throughout the tournament, particularly after beginning their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland.
“Now, on the possibility of scaling the hurdles of Brazil in the semis and get to the finals, I believe the girls can do it. They have shown determination to maintain their ‘steelz’ in the tournament, despite a horrendous opening match of 2–1 loss to Poland, which was enough to discourage them,” he added.
The grassroots coach expressed confidence that Nigeria would return from Morocco with the championship trophy.
“I strongly believe they will return from Morocco 2026 with the winning medal and trophy,” Chilaka, popularly known as Mr Anchorage, said.
The Flamingos will face Brazil in the semi-final as they seek to secure a place in the final and continue their pursuit of Nigeria’s first title in the competition.
