U-17 World Cup qualifiers: NFF appoints technical crew for Flamingos
By Chris Umosen
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed three new technical staff members to join the coaching crew of the national U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos. These appointments are part of the strategic build-up for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Morocco from October 17 to November 7.
The new appointments
The newly appointed officials include:
Joy Jegede: Former international player, appointed as First Assistant Coach.
Aighawi Omodiaghe: Appointed as Second Assistant Coach.
Kola Ige: Appointed as Goalkeeper Trainer.
The trio will work under the leadership of Head Coach Akeem Ishola Busari, who recently took the reins from former coach Bankole Olowookere.
Preparation and qualifiers
To ensure an effective start to the campaign, the technical crew has invited 36 players to camp. These players, scouted from various female clubs and academies, will begin preparations for the second round of the World Cup qualifiers.
The Flamingos are currently awaiting the outcome of the first-round fixture between Niger Republic and Guinea. Nigeria will face the winner of that tie in the next stage.
Key dates
The qualifying schedule is set as follows:
First Leg: To be hosted by Nigeria between May 22 and 24.
Return leg: Scheduled for 30 May.
The primary objective for the new coaching staff is to secure qualification for the World Cup and aim to surpass the team’s impressive third-place finish in the previous edition of the tournament.
