Nigeria's Flamingos head coach Akeem Busari has outlined Nigeria’s tactical approach to containing Poland ahead of their opening Group B encounter at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Saturday.

Speaking to journalists at a pre-match press conference, Busari expressed confidence in his team’s preparation, stressing that Nigeria respects every opponent and is determined to deliver a strong performance.

The Nigerian tactician described Poland as an experienced side familiar with the demands of the competition, predicting a challenging encounter between two teams eager to begin their campaign on a positive note.

“Coming into the tournament, all of us are champions, but as the tournament goes on, we have to separate who is going for it and who is winning it. So, we respect all teams, and I believe all teams respect Nigeria as well,” Busari said.

“For the Polish side, I think they are a team that features in the tournament frequently, and they know the terrain, equally like us too.”

The coach described the fixture as an important test for the Flamingos, expressing confidence that his players would showcase the qualities and playing philosophy that define the Nigerian team.

“So, it is going to be a good test for us. It is going to be a good game. We are going to give a good quality of what we are made up as Flamingos,” he added.

Busari also identified Poland’s physical attributes and direct attacking approach as key areas Nigeria must address, noting that their opponents often rely on aerial deliveries and commit several players into the penalty area.

“From what we have watched from them, we could see that they are taller and want to use direct play, and they want to run in their numbers in the box for crosses,” he explained.

To counter these threats, the Flamingos intend to adopt a mid-block defensive structure while maintaining their preferred style of building attacks from the back.

“So, all we need to do is to be on the mid-block, and we would be able to play our philosophy and play from the back.

“We shared our crosses on the mid and the low, and we drive in more on the angular side,” Busari revealed.

The Flamingos will be aiming to translate their tactical preparations into a positive result against Poland as they begin their Group B campaign, with qualification for the knockout stages among their key objectives at the tournament.