Flamingos head coach, Hakeem Busari, has defended his tactical approach in Nigeria’s WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup encounter against Burkina Faso, saying his plans worked despite the difficult challenge posed by their opponents.
Burkina Faso adopted a defensive approach and relied largely on long balls, making it difficult for Nigeria to break them down.
Busari said he had expected such tactics but was disappointed that his players failed to take their early opportunities.
“I envisaged this. Burkina Faso were going to sit back. They wanted to rely on the tactics and, coincidentally, we had chances but could not convert in the first half. Those chances would have changed the course of the match and increased our goal margin,” Busari said after the encounter.
According to the coach, Nigeria had to remain patient against a side determined to defend deep and play directly.
“They wanted to play long balls without playing it on the ground and sit back. The tactics were difficult, and we had to apply patience,” he added.
Busari also admitted that the Flamingos needed greater composure after Burkina Faso began to grow into the game following Nigeria’s failure to capitalise on their chances.
He said Nigeria’s opening goal eventually altered the pattern of the contest, forcing Burkina Faso to move forward and abandon their defensive setup.
“Football is about tactics. In Africa, we have good coaches and technicians who can come up with something. Kudos to Burkina for their tactics, and we were also able to curtail them with ours,” he said.
The result keeps Nigeria’s campaign on track as Busari’s side prepare for their next fixture in the WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup.
