Flamingos head coach, Hakeem Busari, said his tactical plan against Burkina Faso came into play even as the West Africans made it difficult for Nigeria in their WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup clash.
Busari anticipated that Burkina Faso would sit deep, rely on long balls and frustrate his side. Nigeria’s inability to convert their early chances allowed their opponents to stay in the game.
“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.
The coach explained that Nigeria had to remain patient as Burkina Faso wanted to defend and play direct football.
“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 acknowledged that his young players needed composure as Burkina Faso grew stronger after Nigeria failed to take their chances.
He, however, said the opening goal changed the complexion of the game as Burkina Faso were forced to abandon their defensive approach and come forward.
“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 victory keeps the Flamingos’ campaign on course as Busari and his players turn their attention to their next challenge.
